The Wolf of a Black's Heart
by BlAcKdAuGhTeR
Summary: Remus always looked out for his little sister so when she and Sirius began dating at school he waited for the moment things would go wrong. A bumpy ride of relationships in the Marauder era JPLE SBOC. rated M for later chapters. plz rnr
1. A New Wolf in the Pack

**Summary: Remus always looked out for his little sister so when she and Sirius began dating at school he waited for the moment things would go wrong. join in the bumpy ride of relationships in the Marauder era ... rated M for later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: i am not JK Rowling and never will but hats off to her and the last book. it was brill and if you haven't read it, you better. anyway this story about Remus and his sister Tala and her relationship with Sirius. also some James and Lily in future chapters. enjoy and please review! BlAcKdAuGhTeR**

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Chapter 1

A New Wolf in the Pack

It was the height of summer. It had started early this year and the sun was bright in the clear sky. But instead of being out in the garden with his one-year-old son, Remus, a man was kneeling by the sofa in the living room of his small two bed house where his wife was giving birth to their second child. Lyall Lupin, a young wizard in his early thirties with mousy brown hair drawn back in a ponytail, gripped tightly his wife's hand, whispering words of encouragement to her and kissing her brow as she brought their child into the world. Remus meanwhile had been shut in his bedroom so as to keep him out of the way until it was over. The pregnancy had been hard on Hope, Lyall knew this. Hope had suffered unnatural amounts of sickness throughout and the baby was more than two weeks early that had both of them concerned. They had had a Healer on hand ever since the sickness started, and she was there to assist in the final stages.

The labour was long and intense. For one so eager to arrive, the baby took its time in actually being born. _Maybe it had had second thoughts_, Lyall mused to himself. From upstairs he could hear Remus's cries but he couldn't go to him. After seventeen hours, and many curses and insults from Hope, the Healer cast one last spell and the baby's cries were heard. Hope let out a relieved sob, smiling despite the pain she was in. Beside her Lyall kissed her temple, brushing back her long auburn hair. He was so proud of her, and counted himself the luckiest man on the earth now that he had not one child, but two with the woman he loved.

'Congratulations, Lyall,' said the Healer, 'a beautiful baby girl.'

Wrapped in a white cotton blanket that had once held a new-born Remus, the Healer held the baby girl out to them. Hope reached out and took her daughter in her arms, Lyall watching over her shoulder. She was crying, but neither cared. She was just too beautiful that words escaped both of them. it took only a few moments for the baby to realise who was holding it as her cries soon stopped and she blearily opened her eyes to look at the strange new world she'd entered. In the background they could hear the Healer packing up his things before the quiet _pop_ of them Disapparating.

'She has your eyes,' said Lyall softly when he saw the small blue orbs looking up at him. 'She's perfect.'

'She is,' sighed Hope. She gently rocked their daughter, kissing her small forehead. 'I wonder how Remus will react.'

'Why don't we find out?' suggested Lyall.

With another quick kiss, Lyall got up and went upstairs. By now Remus had cried himself hoarse and was sitting quietly in his toys, playing with his toy wolf. He looked up when he father entered and automatically dropped the wolf, raising his arms to be picked up. Lyall smiled and did so, lifting Remus high up in the air above him causing Remus to laugh. Lyall smiled. He loved his son beyond comprehension and would do anything for him, as he would now do for his daughter as well. He held Remus level with his face and gentle rubbed his nose with his own before holding him to his chest.

'Come on, Remus, let's go see your Mum and baby sister.'

Remus rested his head on Lyall's chest and they went downstairs. In the living room, Hope was still engrossed with the baby, a serene look on her face. Her fingers were lightly brushing the baby's face and chest. She was so small Lyall found it hard to believe she'd been so much trouble. When they entered Hope put her finger to her lips to tell them to be quiet. Remus instantly started to wriggle in Lyall's arms to get to his mother before his brown eyes fell upon the strange thing in her arms. He kept a firm hold on Remus as he knelt back down beside Hope. A smile as bright as the moon was on Lyall's face as he looked at his two children. Remus was staring with intense curiosity at the thing in the blanket. He reached out a hand and gave it a prod. The baby stirred and opened her eyes looking back at him. She let out a small gurgle of wonder.

'Do we have a name yet?' Lyall asked Hope. He watched as Remus reached out and touched his sister again. 'Least we know it's a girl.'

The baby let out a small yawn. Hope and Lyall laughed slightly. It sounded a bit like a howl of a wolf.

'I don't know,' said Hope. 'Her name, it needs to be just right. She's special, I can tell, so she needs a name that's all her own.'

'Well we had Stefan for a boy,' mused Lyall, 'and Evangeline for a girl. Are we going to go with that?'

Hope wrinkled her nose. Even the baby seemed to react negatively to the name.

'She's more special than that,' she said. 'She's going to be so talented, I just know it.'

The baby made another noise, this time more of a happy one at something Hope had said, Lyall noted.

'Talented?' he repeated. The baby made the same noise. Lyall smiled. 'How about … Tala?' Again the baby made the happy noise. 'I think she's found her name.'

'Tala,' repeated Hope as if testing the name. 'Tala Lupin. Yeah, that will work. And Megan, for my mum. Tala Megan Lupin.'

'What do you think, Remus?' Lyall asked their son. He just looked blankly back, a vague smile on his face, before returning to stare at the thing in front of him. Hope chuckled. 'I think he approves.'

Lyall fell silent. He just sat there watching his growing family. He was the luckiest man in the wizarding world.

'Welcome to the pack, Tala,' he said gently.

Tala Lupin merely slept on in her mother's arms.

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**UPDATED: So since JK Rowling released new information on Remus and his history, I thought I'd update this bit of the story to make it coincide more with the official cannon information. It will be changed bit by bit so bear with me as I do so. This might actually help me get back into writing after such a long time away.**


	2. A Father's Mistake

Chapter 2

A Father's Mistake

Three years had passed since the birth of Lyall and Hope's daughter, Tala. Nowadays she and her brother, Remus, would be seen frequently playing together in the garden behind their house whether on the tire swing Lyall had made for them or playing hide and seek amongst bushes. While Hope took on the role of stay-at-home-mum with gusto, Lyall's career was going from strength to strength in the wizarding community. His knowledge of magical beasts and creatures was renown among their fellows, so much so that the Ministry of Magic had offered him a new position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Their life was happy and peaceful and Lyall couldn't wish for anything more.

Their house was small and cosy, perfect for the small family of four, just on the outskirts of London so close enough for Lyall to commute day-to-day to work, or Apparate if he was in a rush. It had all the things a small family like the Lupins needed, especially with their father bringing home the odd magic creature once in a while. That always excited Tala. The house consisted of two floors: the ground floor had a large living room off the hallway, a spacious kitchen-come-dining room as Hope adored cooking and a study for Lyall and his work; upstairs were the bedrooms, the shared room that was originally Remus's old room, and their parent's bedroom at the end of the corridor.

But not all was good in the wizarding world. There were whispers, shadows in the streets and round corners, a darkness seeping into the peaceful existence of the world hidden from the Muggles. A power was growing from an unknown source, never detectable for long before it vanished once again. Lyall had heard things inside the Ministry, rumours of a "Dark Lord' trying to encourage the hatred and loathing of the Muggle world and promoting the idea of pure-blood supremacy. But not all wizards were what was deemed "pure-blood"; there were many whom in their family lineage had married Muggles and thus having "half-blood" children, while others were born with magic into Muggle families earning them the name of "Muggleborns", or to those who deemed them unworthy to study magic, "Mudbloods". Lyall's children themselves were half-bloods, as Hope was from a Muggle family, as were many wizards and witches these days, for if they had not married into Muggle families their entire world would have died out years ago. There were some families known for their pure-blood lines, like the Blacks, the Gaunts and the Lestranges to name but a few, who were all related themselves in one way or another, but this inbreeding had caused serious problems in their future generations.

This, however, was all minor and unconfirmed information. The larger wizarding community remained ignorant to these rumours and stories and so got on with their lives as if nothing was different from one day to the next.

Remus was a typical four-year-old boy, active but not as boisterous as most boys his age. He had the neat mousy brown hair of his father, and the same kind brown eyes too. Because of there not being many houses near their own due to Lyall's fondness of bringing home his work, Remus's main source of companionship was his little sister whom he had a very close relationship with. They were practically inseparable. Remus looked out for his sister from the moment she woke in the morning to when she fell asleep in her bed across the room from his own. They did everything together and their room was full of bits and bobs which Lyall had given them to settle their curiousity. Their bookcase too was stacked with books on magic and stories Remus would read to Tala. Both couldn't wait until they were old enough to start Hogwarts.

Tala, a year younger than her older brother, was the exact replica of their mother. She had auburn hair which Hope had let grow long and bright blue eyes that sparkled like those that came from your wand. She was a lot more adventurous than Remus, even for a three-year-old, which was one of the reasons Remus kept such a close eye on her so he could keep her out of trouble. She had an insatiable curiosity and frequently went exploring further than their garden boundaries with Remus frequently chasing after her before their parents found out. She shared her father's passion for magical creatures already at such a young age, a stuffed phoenix being her favourite toy that she always slept with. It was Tala's curiosity, however, that had led to the discovery of her very special and secret gift.

The Lupins were from a long line of mixed pure-blood and half-blood witches and wizards dating back to at least the seventeen century and so had a range of talents that had been passed on down the family line. It was an ancestor of Tala and Remus's, however, that was the reason for Tala's anomaly. While being a Metamorphmagus was a rare power, with the ability to change ones appearance to that of anyone or any creature, to be passed on to wizard children, there was an even rarer version that was a specific branch of a similar magic, one that was limited to only animal transformations. Being an authority on magical beasts and creatures, Lyall had heard of these strange powers but limited research had been available. All he could discover was that it stemmed from a Metamorphmagus in the sixteen-hundreds who had preferred to remain as an animal rather than a human after the death of his family and had dubbed himself a Feramorph, meaning animal-shape. The trait was then passed through a child of his while in his animal form, which through time and many more descendants eventually mixed into the Lupin bloodline from what Lyall could ascertain. It had been dormant for many generations, however, as there were barely any known Feramorphs in the wizarding world due to the debate of whether they would class as Beast or Human. Until now.

Lyall had been at work that day, working on a new Register that was in development for the Beast Division at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He'd come home to find Remus looking panic striken as he came running in from the garden to find either of his parents.

'Tala! She's fallen in the river!' Remus was shouting. He grabbed Lyall's hand, dragging him outside again before he'd even taken off his travelling robe. "Daddy, quick! She's fallen in the river!'

'I'm coming, Remus, I'm coming,' said Lyall, dropping his briefcase. Together they ran out of the garden gate and towards the river that ran down behind their home. 'What happened? How did Tala fall in?'

'We were playing,' panted Remus, chasing his dad. 'I didn't see it. She was behind me and then suddenly she wasn't and I saw her in the river. I couldn't reach her but she'd managed to grab on to something.'

Lyall nodded. The two of them went back to where Remus said Tala had been hanging on to a large protruding root on the opposite bank near to where they'd been playing. But when they got there, she was nowhere to be seen. Lyall took out his wand and shouted Tala's name repeatedly, hurrying along the bank. Remus looked terrified beside him, his brown eyes wide with fear. Fear had shot through him when it happened. Initially he couldn't see anything in the water and he had no idea how deep it was, until he saw Tala's red head burst through the water as she surfaced. That fear was still with him now as Tala had vanished from sight. The further down they went though, the deeper his fear got.

'Dad,' cried Remus, 'where's Tala? Where is she?'

'Don't worry, we'll find her, Remus,' replied Lyall, though he himself was getting very concerned.

Lyall called Tala's name again. Still no reply. _Please no_, he thought. Not his little girl. It was then he heard a tiny squeak. His eyes instantly focused on a nearby sandbank that he, Remus and Tala would have picnics at during the summer as it was a perfect place for them to paddle in the water. A small wet reddish-brown ball of fur was lying panting on the sand. Lyall's eyes narrowed. He ran over to it. It was an otter, but its fur was a very unusual colour. It was giving off strained squeaks. Lyall knelt down and carefully picked up the poor creature. Remus was watching beside him. The otter reacted to Lyall's touch and looked up at him with a pair of startling blue eyes. The moment it saw him though, it buried itself into his robes as if trying to hug him, its claws gripping his robes.

'Tala?' breathed Lyall. The squeaking became more desperate. 'Merlin's beard …'

'Dad?' Remus tugged Lyall's sleeve. 'Dad, what is it? What's wrong with that otter? What about Tala?'

'Son,' said Lyall slowly, 'this _is_ Tala.'

Tala remained in otter form for a good few hours after she was found. Lyall and Remus took her back to the house where Hope had been waiting for them, concerned at the absence of her husband despite his briefcase indicated he was home. Lyall explained to Hope what had happened and carefully placed Tala in her arms in a towel before going to his study to search through his books for anything to reverse Tala's transformation. While Lyall worked rigorously to find an answer, Hope calmed her daughter enough to stop her wriggling around in her arms and be fed a potion to reduce the effects of being in the river for so long. It was late that night and after a trip to the Beast Department's library that Lyall had formulated an answer to hopefully restore Tala's human form.

Her form was eventually restored after several attempts but Tala's magic was severely drained after the experience. Hope fed her a Restorative Draught to help ease her exhaustion then put her straight to bed. Remus followed without hesitation, sleeping beside his sister with his arm wrapped protectively around her. With the children asleep, Lyall and Hope sat and discussed what had happened and what Lyall had discovered about Tala's transformation. It was something they'd have to ensure Tala didn't attempt the transformation again until she was older and even then, not when people could discover her. While Animagi, wizards who could transform into a single animal through the means of spells and potions, were kept under observation by the Ministry, these Feramorph seemed to have decided to lie low for a reason, something Lyall and Hope wished Tala to do the same in future.

This was only the start of Lyall's deeper involvement with the world of magical creatures and beasts. The Beast and Being Divisions were re-evaluating their werewolf-related programs such as the Werewolf Registry and Support Services. Neither had proven popular since their creation and so the known populace of werewolves was severely inaccurate and both sections were poorly maintained. The reason for its overhaul was due to the increasing activity and appearances of a variety of Dark Creatures over the past few months in connection with the rumours of new Dark Lord trying to gain followers both of Being and Beast kind, and so the Ministry was trying to contain the threat before it escalated too far to be controlled.

It was unsurprising that the Werewolf Registry and Support Services were unpopular and unused departments. Since the initial inception of the Werewolf Code of Conduct, whereupon werewolves were supposed to sign with the promise of not attacking any Muggle or wizard, proved a failure as no wizard was prepared to admit that he was affected with lycanthropy any future attempts at control of werewolves were met with similar results. There had been a continual debate about whether werewolves should be classed as Beings or Beasts, with the Werewolf Registry and Capture Unit in the Beast Division and Support Service in the Beings, as for the majority of time those affected remained in human form apart from during the full moon when they were forced to transform into vicious animals. But as ever there were those who viewed all werewolves as bestial creatures whatever form they were in and so the werewolves remained hidden in private communities away from others. Unsurprisingly because of this many harboured resentment to the rest of wizard kind.

Lyall had been working on a project to improve the locating of Boggarts, a speciality of his that even led to how he met Hope all those years ago, when the Head of the Beast Division asked him to attend an interview taking place in with the Werewolf Capture Unit with a man they'd brought in for questioning in relation to the deaths of two Muggle children. Leaving his research and paperwork, Lyall headed for the interrogation rooms to see what he could do.

The committee were in the middle of the interview when Lyall arrived. All present looked tired and showing the signs of overwork, probably because they had never had so much work to do previously thought Lyall to himself. However, it wasn't them that caught Lyall's attention. It was the man sitting across the table from them whom they were questioning. The man's eyes turned on Lyall when he entered but his face remained unchanged at his arrival. Lyall silently observed him as he acknowledged his colleagues before taking his seat and picking up the file on the desk in front of him.

'Fenrir Greyback,' he read out loud. The man nodded.

Lyall's eyes flicked to the file then quickly back to the man. Greyback merely stared back. His appearance was that of a filthy tramp; his clothes were torn and worn while his skin was encrusted with dirt. His features were unnaturally pointed Lyall noted, and his grey hair was matted back off his face in a scruffy ponytail while his eyes seemed intensely focused, the pupils dilated in an animalistic way. Lyall's brow furrowed. Greyback's mouth twitched into a small smile revealing his teeth. They too were yellowish in colour, the canines much larger than the teeth on either side. Lyall's suspicions deepened.

'So,' he said eventually. 'Mr Greyback, do you know why you're here?'

'Perhaps,' mused Greyback. His voice was almost a growl, low and harsh. 'These gentlemen say two Muggle children have been killed.' He nodded at the men across from him. 'By a werewolf, no less.'

Greyback sat back in his chair and folded his arms. As he did so, Lyall caught sight of his hands. His fingers were held in a curled form underneath his palms, only just concealing the dirt encrusted nails that grew there, sharpened practically into claws. His hands were covered in a layer of thick hair that ran up his forearms underneath his coat, the same hair that seemed to also line his neck and chin in the form of a beard. Lyall had seen all he needed.

'Tell me, Mr Greyback,' said Lyall calmly. 'Do you take pride in your appearance? I can't help but notice your unkempt hair and overgrown nails.'

Greyback snorted.

'A tramp like me?' he laughed, a low rumble coming from his throat. 'Don't really get many opportunities for baths on the streets. Unless you count thunderstorms.' He scratched himself behind his ear in a manner similar to how a dog would use his back paw to do the same. 'I have rather … limited resources.'

'Mr Greyback was found wandering the back alleys of London when we arrested him,' said the Head of the Committee. Lyall finally looked away from Greyback. 'While he was found in the surrounding area of the incident in question, Mr Greyback expressed his surprised at finding himself in a room full of wizards and was very shocked at the murder of two children. We have conducted a search on him,' the Head wrinkled his nose, 'and have found no wand of any kind or any other magical tool on him.'

'Why would I?' asked Greyback. 'I'm nothing more than a Muggle – whatever that is – tramp. I keep myself to myself and live off what I can find in rubbish bins and skips. I have nothing more to do with children than I do with society itself.'

'That, Mr Greyback, I find hard to believe,' said Lyall promptly. A sudden mutter went round the Committee at Lyall's bold statement. 'I have worked for many years with various magical beasts, including werewolves, and from the moment I saw you I recognised several signs I have observed in other members of that hidden community.'

'Have you?' said Greyback, surprised. 'Please,' he offered, gesturing with an open palm. His claws were more visible than ever now. 'Do go on …'

'Your hair for instance,' began Lyall. 'You have a thick layer of coarse black hair running along your hands and up your wrists which, if I asked you to roll up your sleeves, I believe would continue up your arms and over the majority of your body, and the very same that appears to grow on your face and neck.'

'Is it uncommon for men to be hairy?' said Greyback calmly.

'Indeed, it is not,' replied Lyall. 'But I can tell from even this distance that the hair that grows on your hands and face is not the same kind that grows on your head. It has the same thickness, coarseness and colour as that found on werewolves when they are transformed during the full moon. It is unusual for a man, Muggle or wizard, to have hair naturally that coarse, but not so unusual for those inflicted with lycanthropy to develop the same fur-like hair on their bodies the more times they transform in later years through their extended lifespan.'

'I do hope you're going somewhere with this, Lyall,' said the Head of the Committee. 'You are accusing Mr Greyback of being a werewolf which is a serious accusation. He had merely been brought in for questioning and there is no concrete evidence to suggest he had anything to do with the murder, let alone any indication that he is even a wizard as he seems to have no knowledge whatsoever of our existence.'

'I find that hard to believe,' said Lyall vehemently. 'Mr Greyback has many characteristics that are found in those who have been affected with lycanthropy for many years including elongated nails and canine teeth, thick hair growth over the full body and permanently dilated eyes. It is my professional opinion that Mr Greyback be kept in a detention cell for close observation until the next full moon so as to properly assess his claims.'

'Is that really necessary?' asked another member of the Committee. 'A waste of time for both the Ministry and Mr Greyback.'

'Then you are willingly allowing a dangerous creature back into to society!' snapped Lyall.

A hush fell over the room at Lyall's sudden outburst. The Committee members were muttering between themselves, taking turns in glancing at Lyall. The Head was watching him carefully.

'Mr Lupin,' he said slowly, 'you are to control your temper or you will be removed from this investigation.'

'With the greatest respect,' said Lyall, 'We need to keep Greyback detained in order to observe him. I have studied werewolves for years –'

'Lyall, we are well aware of your knowledge and experience with magical creatures,' said the Head over him. 'We wouldn't have given you a job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures if we didn't think you're the man for the job. However, you can't just go around making wild accusations. You have to consider evidence, and there is none to warrant Mr Greyback's detention.'

'It is not a wild accusation!' argued Lyall. 'The evidence is in front of you!'

The mutters were slowly turning to laughter. Lyall stared at the Committee members. How could they be so ignorant?

'There is no evidence,' said one Committee member. 'He has no wand, he has no knowledge of the wizarding world. He's just a Muggle tramp. You want evidence, Lyall, take a whiff of him.'

'He stinks worse than a potion brewed incorrectly,' said another. There was a scattering of laughter.

'Lyall,' said a third, 'you just stick to your Welsh Boggarts, that's what you're good at. Leave the proper investigations to the professionals.'

That's all it took. That one comment. A normally calm and mild mannered man, Lyall snapped.

'Two children have been brutally murdered by a werewolf!' said Lyall angrily. 'Killed in cold blood by a vicious creature that won't think twice about the act. Werewolves are dangerous creatures that need to be controlled and detained each month at the full moon to stop these horrific acts from happening. They do not care about their actions, nor do they feel remorse for them. They are soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death if they refuse to comply to the Ministry's laws on registration and code of conduct that was put in place to protect innocent people.'

'That is enough!' interjected the Head. 'Mr Lupin, you will remove yourself from this investigation immediately or I will have you removed.'

'You've got to see sense!'

'Now, Mr Lupin.'

Lyall glared at the Head of the Committee. He stood from his seat and strode for the door. From the corner of his eye he saw Greyback was still staring at him. His eyes had narrowed and his brow had furrowed into a dark expression, his arms folded over his chest. The corner of his lips lifted into what looked like a silent growl. Greyback's attention was drawn away, however, when the Head began apologising to him for Lyall's behaviour. Lyall slammed the door behind him.

From then on, Lyall rejected any further invitations from the Ministry to join investigations unless his professional opinion was going to be taken seriously. He did not appreciate being openly mocked by wizards who were meant to be his colleagues when he was hired because his skills and knowledge were respected and revered in wider circles. Needless to say Greyback was released and the person responsible for the murder wasn't in custody.

Despite the pressures of his job, Lyall's stress always left him when he stepped over the threshold of his home and returned to the comfort of his family. Seeing his children come running at him when he walked in the door, having Hope kiss him on the cheek was enough to calm him after a hard day. However, it was long before Lyall's outburst over the werewolf investigation reared itself again, and he came to realise how serious his accusations had been.

It was the week preceding Remus's fifth birthday that Greyback made his attack. It was late and the night had fully set in, the full moon visible in the clear dark sky. Remus and Tala had been put to bed not too long after dinner and had been asleep for a few hours before Hope and Lyall had decided to go to bed themselves. Hope had kissed Lyall and headed upstairs while he cast the various Protection Spells on the house before following. He passed Remus and Tala's bedroom door when he stopped. There was a strange noise coming from inside, like wood being forced open against its will. Lyall took out his wand and slowly opened the door.

Remus's scream had barely left his lips by the time the werewolf had sunk its teeth into his chest. Lyall's heart plummeted when he saw his only son in the werewolf's jaws. Without hesitation Lyall fired a series of powerful curses at the werewolf. The first hit it in the face and it released Remus from its grip. He fell limply back to his bed. By now Tala too had woken and was blearily asking Lyall what was happening. Before the werewolf could notice her too, Lyall had sent a second and third curse at it and it fled through the broken window. Lyall rushed to his son's side. By now Hope had come to see what the commotion was. She screamed when she saw the blood soaked sheets and her lifeless son's body in her husband's arms.

While Hope pulled Tala from the room, fighting back her own tears, Lyall worked hard to stem the bleed. Using an old remedy of powdered silver mixed with dittany he'd found throughout his research, Lyall sealed his son's wounds leaving a series of red teeth marks up to an inch long covering his chest. But from that moment, Remus was forever cursed. No longer would he be able to live a normal life amongst other wizards, no longer would he be accepted by society, no longer would he be able to go to Hogwarts and follow in Lyall's footsteps like he'd always planned for his son. While Muggles normally died from their wounds, because of Lyall's quick work he had managed to save his son's life, but due to his actions he had cursed him to the life of an outcast. A werewolf, the creature he remonstrated for being vicious and evil, his kind, caring son was destined to be for the rest of his life as his son paid for his mistake.

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**AN UPDATED: since the new information released on Remus on Pottermore, here is an updated chapter on how he became a werewolf.**


	3. Into Hiding

Chapter 3

Into Hiding

From that moment on the lives of Lyall, Hope and their children were forever changed. For the weeks following the incident Remus remained in isolation in his bedroom as he recovered from the attack, with Lyall's study acting as a makeshift bedroom for Tala at night. On more than one occasion Tala had managed to sneak into Remus's bedroom to see her brother but every time she tried, Hope would pull her away and give her the same reprimand for disturbing him. They had kept what had happened from her, saying instead that Remus had caught a violent sick bug and needed to be kept away from her to stop her catching it too. A three-year-old wouldn't understand. It was going to be hard enough to explain it to Remus when he was recovered.

Lyall's research at the Ministry also had taken a backseat as he spent endless amounts of time searching for some sort of cure for his son's lycanthropy. He searched through book after book – spell books and history books; specific books on werewolves and ones where they were only referenced in a single paragraph – anything he could get his hands on that might give him some hope for helping his afflicted son. But he search was fruitless. Nothing seemed to provide an answer for him. There was nothing that could be done to reverse the effects of Remus's lycanthropy.

It was two weeks after the attack that Remus finally showed signs of some improvement. Hope had applied liberal amounts of potions Lyall had brewed to his scars in order to heal them and lessen the permanent scarring he'd have for the rest of his life while also feeding him various potions to help restore the blood he'd lost that night and his strength. But the longer it took for him to recover, the less time Lyall and Hope had to make preparations for the following full moon.

Where were they going to keep a werewolf? Where in their small house were they going to keep a vicious monster, young as Remus was, that was capable of feats of strength and violence from the moment they transformed? The only option was to find somewhere new to live with a cellar or spare room for the specific use to lock him away during the full moons for his own safety as well as theirs and those living near them. For now his bedroom would have to suffice, meaning Lyall would have to put several protection and silencing spells on the room to avoid the neighbours and, most importantly, Tala from finding out.

This was only a minor problem in comparison to the more pressing one: telling Remus himself what had happened. Remus remembered very little of the attack, only great amounts of pain and the feeling of his blood on his body. It pained Lyall the night he sat by Remus's bedside and explained to him what happened, about how a werewolf had broken into his bedroom and bitten him. Remus's first instinct was to ask if Tala was ok, Lyall reassuring him that the werewolf had fled before he could notice Tala and bite her too. It was Lyall's visible distress, however, that showed Remus how serious things were and how difficult they would now be for his family, and it began to dawn on him what sort of a life he would now face.

No sooner had Remus begun to fully recover did he start to suffer the effects of the infection. His health deteriorated a second time as the full moon grew closer and closer, and his appearance changed from that of a healthy four-year-old to a skinny and malnourished child from his diminished appetite. Whatever he did manage to eat was soon vomited up again from bouts of sickness the lycanthropy gave him. The first transformation was horrible to go through. Hope sat crying in Lyall's arms as they remained on guard outside Remus's room while Tala slept soundly downstairs and their son endured his first painful transformation into a werewolf but there was nothing that either of them could do. They couldn't hear his cries of pain or howls once he was in wolf form due to the Silencing Spells on the room but both knew Remus would have been pleading for his parents to end the pain. For now he was contained, as a young werewolf his strength was limited. It was the future that Hope and Lyall had to be prepared for.

Life over the following years changed dramatically for the young family. After the first transformation, once Remus had recovered, Lyall and Hope had packed up their house and told their children they were moving to a new one in the south west of the country. They had found the property in a small village, one that had a large cellar that was more suitable to house Remus during his transformations, not that Remus or Tala were aware this was the true reason they were moving. As they soon discovered, however, after the first few months of living in their new home, it was all Lyall and Hope could do to keep their neighbours at bay about Remus's strange behaviour and sudden pallor when they saw how ill he became every month. Eventually Remus was kept away from the neighbourhood children and forbidden to play anywhere apart from the garden as their parents got suspicious and started asking questions, leading to Lyall and Hope moving their family once again barely a year later.

As he grew older, Remus changed from the curious active boy to being doubtful and quiet. The seclusion from other children because of his lycanthropy affected him more than he let his parents know and so, even though he still had Tala for company, he became a very lonely little boy. His dreams of going to Hogwarts also slowly vanished by the time he was seven as he realised he'd never be able to be around a school full of children, potential victims to his werewolf form or ones who would shun him for being a monster. He had dreamed of going to Hogwarts since he first made a pencil zoom across the kitchen table but now it looked like a mere memory.

Things grew harder the older Remus got. By the time he was ten, Lyall and Hope had moved their family several times all over the country, never staying longer than a year in one location, trying to find houses suitable for housing a growing werewolf. In only a few years the werewolf had gone from being easy to contain to having the strength to pound against doors and smash the windows in whatever room it was locked in. Remus had destroyed countless beds, shredded dozens of pillows and bed sheets, scratched wallpaper and paint off walls, and smashed several pieces of furniture, all of which Lyall would repair the following day. More and more spells were needed to conceal him from the neighbours and Tala the larger and stronger his wolf form got, but even they were not enough and eventually Lyall had to succumb to chaining up his son, a heart-breaking moment for him the first time he did it.

Remus's curse had its effects on Lyall and Hope as well. With the Dark activities increasing in the wizarding world from the still unconfirmed source, according to what Lyall could find out from the Ministry, fear and prejudice began to spread amongst wizards and witches, especially against those considered to be connected to whatever or whoever was causing it. Werewolves in particular were the subject of more attention and an increased pressure to have them registered. The stress of concealing their son took its toll on Lyall and Hope and both grew thin with worry and fear while still trying to do everything in their power to retain some normal life for their two children. While Tala went to a nearby primary school for her education, Hope and Lyall did their best to give Remus the proper education he needed although they both knew that he would never step foot in a school.

It had been a long five years before things appeared to settle. Lyall and Hope managed to get hold of a small hold just to the north of Yorkshire that was located deep in the countryside, secluded and away from prying eyes and potential victims. The cottage was small but had three bedrooms, enough to keep Remus and Tala separate when his illness started, as well as a disused barn outside in the nearby field. Lyall modified it was a series of spells to reinforce the doors and windows and transfigured a rusty tractor plough that had been left there as a cage to attach Remus's chains to, creating a large private cell for him away from the main building. It wasn't brilliant, but it was the best they could do to protect Remus and in turn protect Tala from him.

Things finally looked settled for the Lupins. They had a routine set out for Remus that proved to be successful enough to keep him hidden away from the public while he studied whenever Tala was at school. For all intents and purposes, Remus appeared to be coping. However, in all their efforts to protect their son, Lyall and Hope had failed to notice how Remus's illness was affecting Tala.

It was naïve of Lyall and Hope to think that Tala would never start to wonder what happened to Remus every month for five years straight, or be curious as to why they had moved house and she'd have to change schools so much in that time. Whenever Remus's illness was at its peak, Tala could be found sitting in her bedroom by the door with it opened a crack, just enough to see Hope or Lyall leading Remus downstairs and out of the house. When she asked them back when she was six what was going on, they said it was regular check-ups at St Mungo's, the wizarding hospital, after his accident but the excuse had worn thin the more times they used it. Tala was worried about her brother. She'd watched as he became reclusive and introvert, and how at times he didn't even want to play with her, not the brother he'd been when she was younger. So one night Tala snuck out of her bedroom after Lyall had fetched Remus and followed them to the barn, determined to find out what was wrong. She followed them at a distance across the field to the barn and hid behind the wooden door, watching as Lyall chained Remus's wrists and ankles before locking him away in the makeshift cage.

'Why are you locking him up?' burst Tala. Lyall span round when he heard Tala's voice. She ran forwards to stop her Dad. 'Remus!'

'Tala, get back!' shouted Lyall.

He grabbed his daughter round the waist and pulled her away. Tala fought against his grip just as the full moon's light began to shine through the high window of the barn. Remus's shouts suddenly cut over her own and she watched in horror as her brother thrashed about in the cage in what could only be described as deathly pain. Lyall dragged his screaming daughter out of the barn and kicked the door shut behind them, putting a strong Locking Spell on it as the first howls of the werewolf were heard.

'Remus!' Tala screamed again and again as Lyall carried her back to the house. 'Daddy, what's wrong with Remus?' she cried. She tried to wriggle free from Lyall's grip but he wouldn't let go. 'Dad, he's hurt! You've got to help him! Please! Remus is hurt!'

'There's nothing I can do,' said Lyall sadly. He clutched his daughter close to him in an attempt to comfort her as well as himself. When he said this, Tala heard the sadness in his voice and she glanced at her father. He had tears in his eyes. Tala stopped struggling when she saw this. 'There's nothing I can do.'

Tala looked back at the barn. Her brother was in there suffering in immense pain. And no one would help him.

'Remus …'

Tala allowed Lyall to carry her back into the house. Hope had been in the kitchen when she saw Lyall come back from locking Remus away. Her face took on a look of fear when she saw Lyall carrying Tala as he walked past the kitchen door.

'Lyall –!' she gasped, but he shook his head. Hope pressed her fingers to her lips, tears starting at her eyes as well. She watched as Lyall carried Tala back to her room, dreading the idea of finally telling their daughter what had happened all those years ago.

Lyall opened Tala's door and took her inside. He placed her gently down on her bed then sat beside her. Lyall gazed at her, his beautiful little girl, the same sadness evident in his eyes that was always there nowadays when he looked at his son. Tala stared back at him as he began to stroke her long hair.

'Daddy, what's wrong with Remus?' she eventually asked. 'Why do you keep hiding him?'

Lyall watched his daughter. She was more observant than he'd realised. It hurt him to keep it from her but she was still too young to understand. She loved her brother so much; the truth would tear her apart. Lyall sighed. He brushed back Tala's hair and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

'Now is not the time,' he said softly. 'You're too young to understand. Remus … he's very ill and will be for a long time. It's unlikely he'll ever get better. Now go to bed. It's late.'

Tala did as she was told and got back into bed. Lyall tucked her in and gave her another kiss then left her room. When his footsteps had faded away down the stairs, Tala got up and walked over to her bedroom window. She could just see the barn from there. Something was wrong with her brother, Tala knew it. A few moments later Tala heard the familiar argument coming from downstairs. It was not the first time she'd heard her parents fighting about her and Remus; there had been many occasions in the past, usually occurring just prior to them relocating even if they'd only just settled down again, when Tala would hear them arguing and it was always about the same thing. Remus, with her own name being dragged into it every once in a while. Things hadn't been the same since Remus's accident, not that Tala could remember much of it. And things were once again going to change dramatically the following week.

The days passed quickly after that month's transformation and soon Remus was up and about again. With his health coming back, Remus spent the rest of the week reading in bed while Tala was at school, only coming out of it that weekend when he was certain Tala wouldn't notice his still pale appearance. Lyall had made him swear years ago not to let Tala know about him being a werewolf, though Remus had made it his own personal choice to never tell her so he could protect her. It was late that Saturday afternoon when Remus came out of his bedroom to find Tala sitting at the top of the stairs, legs up to her chest, listening to the shouts coming from downstairs. Remus walked over to her.

'What's going on?' he asked.

'Mum and Dad are arguing again,' she said quietly. 'They've been doing that a lot recently, more so than normal. I guess that means we'll be moving again soon. We've only been here since October, I don't want to move again. Why do we keep moving?'

'I don't know,' lied Remus, though he knew perfectly well. But it seemed strange this time he had to admit. They lived in the middle of nowhere. The nearest village was miles away; there was no one in the immediate surrounding area he could bite. So why _were_ they arguing this time?

'Remus?'

Remus came back from his stupor when he realised Tala was talking to him.

'Yeah?'

'Nothing bad's going to happen, is it?' asked Tala.

'No, of course not,' said Remus, confidently. He put his arm round her shoulders and hugged her close to him. 'Nothing bad's going to happen.' A door suddenly slammed downstairs making the two of them jump. It sounded like their father had stormed out. 'I hope.'

That night when he and Tala were meant to be in bed, Remus crept downstairs to find their father in the kitchen. Lyall was sitting at the table with a glass in his hand from which he took a deep drink. Lyall was not one for indulging in Firewhiskey, even at his most stressed he had not indulged in it, but he had suffered yet another terrible blow to what had already been a hard week. His mousy brown hair was ruffled and messy from stress. He had his back to the door.

'Dad?' said Remus quietly. He turned around. 'What's going on?'

'Remus,' said Lyall, 'what are you still doing up?'

'I couldn't sleep,' he mumbled. He then fell silent for a moment. 'Dad … why do you and Mum keep arguing? Are we moving again?'

Lyall's expression fell. Remus and Tala had heard them as he feared. Lyall sighed.

'No, we're not moving,' he forced himself to say. Lyall got up and walked over to his son. He stroked his head, Remus looking up at him with a worried expression. 'It's just … the older you get, the stronger the werewolf is too. We're just trying to find a better way to keep you and Tala apart during that time. It's nothing you need to worry about.'

Just then Hope entered the kitchen. Lyall and Remus looked up.

'Remus, you should be in bed,' said Hope gently.

'He was just going up,' said Lyall. He glanced at his son. Remus looked up at him. 'Go on, off you go.'

Remus nodded. He said goodnight to his mother as he passed her and returned upstairs to his room. Hope watched her son with the same sadness Lyall always had. It was all she could do to keep herself from crying these days. Lyall approached her. He slipped his hand round her waist and pulled her close.

'Is everything ready?' he asked.

'Yes,' sighed Hope.

'You know you don't have to go through with this,' said Lyall. 'We _will_ find a way. I mean, who knows, Tala might understand. She's a bright girl –'

'Lyall, I will not have my daughter subjected to this,' Hope said over him. 'She does not deserve to suffer as well. She loves Remus and this will tear her apart.'

'And it's because she loves him that we need to tell her,' insisted Lyall. 'And by knowing, we can protect her better as she'll know not to try and follow us again.'

'But telling Tala her brother's a monster? I just – I can't do it …' The tears in Hope's eyes finally fell. 'I can't … it'll devastate her.'

Lyall pulled Hope into him. Silently she cried on his shoulder as their world once again started to get torn apart.

The following day Lyall and Hope made the final preparations. Suitcases were packed, boxes were sealed up and shrunk to fit into the car, and the arrangements had been finalised with Lyall's father who had shown up to help. All that was left to be done was the most heart-breaking task of all: separating Remus and Tala. They had been out in the garden allowing time for Lyall and Hope to pack up all of Tala's things without her noticing. They heard sets of footsteps come in from the garden and start up the stairs. It was time.

'Tala?' called Hope, entering the hall. Tala stopped on the staircase, Remus just up from her. 'I just need a quick word with Tala, Remus,' said Hope. 'You go on upstairs.'

'I'll see you in my room,' Tala told Remus. 'I want you to read me_ Babbity Rabbity_.'

Remus nodded and went on upstairs. However, when he opened Tala's bedroom door he found that her room was empty. All her toys, her books, even her furniture was gone. Dread filled Remus's chest and he ran back on to the landing just in time to see his grandfather walk in the front door and approach a confused Tala, picking her up in his arms as his mother stood by his side.

'Ready to come stay with granddad?' he asked Tala. 'Your mum and you are coming to stay for a while.'

'Is Remus coming too?' Tala asked.

'No, hun,' said Hope. 'It's just going to be you, me and granddad.' Hope looked across at Lyall who was standing by the front door. 'Look after Remus, Lyall.'

'I will,' he replied.

'Mum?' called Remus worriedly. 'Dad? What's going on?' His parents and granddad saw him run down the stairs. All of a sudden what his father had said in the kitchen made a lot of sense. He wasn't going anywhere, Tala was. 'Tala!'

'Come on, we've got to go.'

Hope ushered her father-in-law and Tala out of the front door. Tala looked back at Remus as he came rushing towards them. She watched as Lyall held him back.

'Remus?' Things slowly began to fall into place as Tala realised what was happening. 'Remus!'

Her granddad placed her in the backseat of the car as Hope got in the driver seat, getting in the passenger one after putting a Locking Spell on Tala's door. Remus pulled against his father and ran out into the front garden shouting Tala's name. He knew this day would come. He knew one day his parents would attempt to separate them to protect Tala from being bitten, to protect her from him.

'Mum, you can't! Tala!'

'Remus!' cried Tala. She banged against the car window. The engine roared into life. 'Don't leave me!'

'Tala, I'm coming!'

Remus ran towards the car and his sister but was stopped again when his Dad grabbed him around the chest and pulled him back. Remus kicked and pulled against him but he would not let go of him.

'Tala, come back! Tala!' yelled Remus desperately.

'Remus!' cried Tala. 'Daddy! Remus!'

He could see the tears in her eyes as the car pulled away from the house. Remus broke out of his Dad's arms and chased after it as it drove off down the gravel road. He chased it for as long as he could before the car was going to fast for Remus to follow.

'Tala, I'll come get you!' shouted Remus. He watched as the car vanished into the countryside. 'I'll come get you,' he repeated.

But Remus didn't come get Tala. In fact, in the following months Remus didn't see Tala at all. A week or so after they left, Hope returned to the cottage to see Lyall and Remus and explain to her son what had happened and the reason for separating the two of them. About how Tala had gotten so close to finding out what had happened to Remus. At first Remus was bitter towards his parents for doing this, but once things were explained he began to understand their reasoning behind the decision. They wanted to wait until Tala was at Hogwarts before they told her of Remus's lycanthropy because at least then she would no longer be at risk of being bitten as she could stay at school for the most part and be at home over the summer only by which time she would have learnt to stay away from him during the full moon.

'It was the only option,' said Hope heavily. She took her son's hand. 'We would never forgive ourselves if Tala got bitten too. It's hard enough with her own gift as she hasn't even developed that yet.'

'I understand,' replied Remus. He didn't like it but he did indeed understand. 'At least Tala will get to see Hogwarts. One of us should.'

At that precise second there was a knock at the door. The three of them looked confused. They weren't expecting any visitors. Cautiously, Lyall took out his wand and went to the front door. Hope followed, telling Remus to stay in the living room. Lyall looked through the spyhole to see who it was. A man with a long silver beard and twinkling blue eyes stood on their doorstep admiring the flowerbeds, his fingers lightly clasped behind his back.

'It's Albus Dumbledore!' gasped Lyall quietly. 'What's he doing here?'

'I am here to see your son,' came a reply causing Lyall and Hope to jump. Dumbledore hadn't even turned round but he had obviously heard Lyall's stunned comment to his wife. 'As beautiful as your garden is, I would quite like to speak to you and your son about his future at Hogwarts School.'

'I-I don't know what you're talking about,' responded Lyall through the door. 'We have no reason for you to be here, nor are you welcome in this house. P-please leave without argument.'

'I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts,' Dumbledore's voice replied. 'I am allowed to speak to any future students if I so wish.'

'Get rid of him, Lyall,' insisted Hope. Both were getting worried. They couldn't let Dumbledore find out about Remus's condition. The day his Hogwarts letter was due to arrive they were just going to throw it in the bin. 'Quickly!'

'You have come to the wrong house, sir,' said Lyall firmly. 'Good day to you.'

Lyall peered through the peephole. Dumbledore was still standing on his doorstep, completely uninterested in the door itself despite insisting on being allowed inside. In a blink of an eye though, he was gone.

'He's gone,' said Lyall. 'Vanished.'

'Are you sure?' asked Hope. Hers hands were gripping Lyall's arm. 'Are you sure he's gone?'

Lyall opened the door. Sure enough, no elderly wizard stood on his doorstep or in his garden. Lyall checked all around for any sign of him, Hope remaining in the doorway as he did so, but the wizard was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished without a sign or a spell. Lyall returned indoors confirming to Hope that Dumbledore had indeed left and they returned to the living room to continue their conversation with Remus. You can imagine their shock when they found Remus now sat cross-legged on the floor by the fireplace by the coffee table contemplating his next Gobstones move with Albus Dumbledore sitting opposite him in an armchair Hope and Lyall were pretty certain they did not own happily eating some freshly made crumpets and butter.

'How did he –' breathed Hope but Dumbledore cut her off.

'Mrs Lupin, I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where I have more than a hundred students under my supervision,' he said politely. 'I have many spells up my sleeve as it is in my professional opinion I'd be a rather poor Headmaster if I didn't.' He smiled at the stunned couple, his eyes twinkling. 'Now, please, have a seat and we can discuss Remus's tuition.'

Lyall and Hope did so, sitting on the sofa opposite him and behind Remus.

'I'm not sure what there is to discuss,' began Lyall slowly. 'We home school Remus. We weren't going to send him to Hogwarts.'

'And yet you still intend for your daughter to attend the school?' asked Dumbledore curiously. He peered at them over the top of his half-moon spectacles. 'Now, Lyall, you never were very good at keeping secrets from people, were you? Your honesty was a becoming trait when you were a student, especially when you hadn't done your Transfiguration homework.'

Lyall flushed. He should have known better than attempt to lie to his old Transfiguration Professor.

'Professor,' said Lyall quietly. 'Remus already knows he isn't going to Hogwarts. Please, he's been through enough already.'

'Yes, I am aware,' said Dumbledore lightly. 'However, it is of my opinion that it is in Remus's best interests that he attends Hogwarts as every young wizard or witch is entitled to a proper education, werewolf or not.'

Lyall and Hope gasped.

'How – how did you know?' breathed Hope.

'In times of trouble and dissent, I have many people allied alongside me,' said Dumbledore. He took a crumpet from his plate and had a mouthful. He offered the plate to Lyall and Hope; both were too stunned to accept. 'You are aware of the rising Dark activities within the wizarding world from Lyall's position in the Ministry of Magic, as am I. I found it prudent to gain some spies of my own, as the Ministry and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, and prudent it proved to be.

'A wizard never achieves anything when boastful about his actions,' continued Dumbledore, 'and it was through the boastful actions of one certain wizard which informed me of Remus being attacked when he was younger by a werewolf and suffering from lycanthropy from a young age. From the moment that information was reported to me that one of my future students was unlikely to attend Hogwarts like his father before him, I set about making arrangements to ensure that this did not come to be.'

Their shock turned to silent amazement the more Dumbledore told them about what he had done. In the town of Hogsmeade, on an isolated hill, a house had been constructed for the sole purpose of being a place where Remus could transform away from the students of Hogwarts and away from the villagers. The house had no access from doors or windows as all were boarded up to make it look abandoned and unsafe so as to discourage people from trying to enter. The only way in was through a trapdoor in the floorboards, which was connected to a deep underground tunnel that led all the way back to the Hogwarts grounds. The entrance at the other side was also well concealed, as a mature sapling of a Whomping Willow had been planted by the school's Herbology Professor over the entrance, it's roots masking the entrance with one specially enchanted to freeze the tree whenever the tunnel was needed. On the night of the full moon, Remus would be led by one of three members of staff who were aware of his condition down to the tree – either himself, Professor McGonagall, the current Deputy Head, and Madam Pomfrey, the school's nurse – and taken to the safe house. There were many spells and enchantments placed on the house for Remus's safety as well as the protection of the villagers nearby in case any did wander too close to the house but it was with Dumbledore's assurance that these precautions would allow Remus to transform in peace.

Lyall and Hope still had their concerns, however. As Dumbledore had said, there were hundreds of students at Hogwarts. It was unlikely to go unnoticed by them that every month Remus fell ill in the time leading up to the full moon. Dumbledore agreed this would be a problem, but not as greater one as they believed. Many students would not notice Remus's illness, for either they would not be in his year at Hogwarts or in the same House. It was only those who Remus befriend were most likely to notice his deteriorating condition from time to time. For those who did, it would be up to Remus to come up with excuses for why he looks ill or why he has been disappearing for up to a week at a time while he recovers in the Hospital Wing. He did, however, assure Lyall and Hope that Remus's condition would not be broadcast and only the professors who needed to know would know.

'Lyall, this could be his chance,' said Hope, 'he can still go to Hogwarts.'

'I know but …' began Lyall hesitantly, 'but what if people found out? He'll be an outcast.'

'Dad.' The three adults all looked at Remus who had remained silent throughout their entire conversation. 'I want to go to Hogwarts. I want to be a wizard, just like you. If Professor Dumbledore says there are things there to keep people safe, why can't I go? Please? I won't let people find out. I promise.'

'Remus,' sighed Lyall.

'Please, Dad?' Remus pleaded his father. 'I'll have friends if I go to Hogwarts. Please?'

Lyall could see the desperate look in his son's eye. He had had a very lonely childhood with only his sister for companionship and now even she had been taken away from him. Remus had never had any friends because of his lycanthropy and he and Hope banning him from being near other children. But now this opportunity had presented itself for Remus to have a proper life, a life outside the four walls of his parents' home. He was destined for a life of being resented and shunned. What was so wrong in letting him experience a proper life before that happened in the safety of one of the wizarding world's most secure buildings and esteemed schools? Eventually, Lyall smiled.

'Of course, son,' he said gently. 'I wouldn't dream on you missing Hogwarts.'

'That's settled then,' said Dumbledore briskly. He suddenly got to his feet and swept towards the door. 'You can expect your letter later in the year.'

And with that, Dumbledore was gone.

Remus had never felt so excited in his life. He was going to Hogwarts. He was going to learn magic. Finally after a childhood of hiding away because of his condition, Remus was finally going to get to experience what it was like to meet and know people his own age. He was finally going to have friends.

* * *

**AN UPDATE: this chapter has been completely revamped with the new information from Pottermore on Remus's childhood, with what happened between his attack to how he and Tala were separated now happening a different way**


	4. The Sorting

Chapter 4

The Sorting

The day Remus's letter arrived was a day he'd waited for for a long time since Dumbledore's visit. When the owl arrived baring his letter he practically tore it from its talons and opened it to see those emerald words stating that he had been accepted at one of the world's most prestigious wizarding schools. The pride he felt when he read the words swelled in his chest. There was only one thing that could have made this day any better: if his sister had been there to share it with him.

While Hope had made regular visits to see her son since she and Tala left earlier in the year, Remus had barely seen his sister and when he did it was never at their home or only when their mother was just dropping by, never for one of her prolonged visits. Still living with their granddad, Tala had become solitary in her time in isolation similar to how Remus had when he became a werewolf. She spent most of her time at school as she was entering her final year before she was due to go to Hogwarts herself. When she wasn't there or doing homework, Tala, according to Hope, had taken it upon herself to learn all she could about her gift and so was regularly found wandering around the house in various animal forms.

'She's doing very well,' Hope told Remus. 'She can transform into a number of different pets. Its made the neighbours think your granddad's got a miniature farm in his back garden.'

'Wow, that's great,' said Remus. 'I … I wish she was here to show me.'

Hope could see how hurt her son was by Tala's apparent lack of interest to see him.

'You know,' she added, knowing this would cheer Remus up, 'she mentioned to me she's found an animal she likes to transform into. A wolf.' Remus's spirits lifted at this news. He didn't know why but knowing Tala had found her own wolf form comforted him. It was a strange feeling to have, considering how he hated his own. 'It appears she's still missing you as she spends a lot of her time in that form, as long as she can hold it. It's almost as if she wishes she was a werewolf too.'

'Does that mean she knows?' asked Remus.

Hope shook her head, 'Tala never told your Dad or me if she knew what had happened to you after she followed him to the barn. If she does, she's keeping it quiet because she knows she'll be told in time anyway.'

Remus nodded. Although he hated the lack of contact from his sister, as they had always been close as kids, he accepted it. All he could assume was there was a reason for Tala's distance. He just hoped she wasn't doing anything that could hurt herself.

There were only a week or so left of the summer for Remus to get all his school robes and equipment ready. His father had decided in order to not overwhelm Remus by the sudden number of people to take him to Diagon Alley nearer the end of August when most of the students had gotten their supplies for the coming school year. It proved to be a wise choice. When Remus and his dad walked through the Leaky Cauldron and the barrier into Diagon Alley, a look of awe took over Remus's face at this hidden away world. But then he noticed all the people. Not as packed as it could be, the wonky street was full of people causing an anxiety to suddenly hit Remus. He backed away slightly, naturally fearing someone would find out his secret.

'It's all right, Remus,' Lyall reassured him. 'Come on, let's get your stuff.'

Remus remained close to his father as they went from shop to shop getting his school supplies. The first stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where he was measured for his school robes. While he waited his turn, Remus looked at all the different Hogwarts uniforms. First years had plain black robes as they do not have houses until they are Sorted. From their second year onwards, they had their House specific robes including thick-striped tie and a robe with an inner lining in their respective House colours. Remus already knew about the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. His father had been a Ravenclaw, a fitting choice as he was a very intelligent wizard. Remus hoped to follow in his footsteps as he didn't have the bravery of a Gryffindor, nor was he as sly as a Slytherin, and Hufflepuff … Well no one ever really wanted to be in Hufflepuff.

After his robes Remus and his dad picked up the remainder of his equipment including his potions ingredients, a trunk to take his things to Hogwarts with his initials emblazoned on the side, his schoolbooks and telescope. When it came to taking a pet, Remus firmly decided against getting one despite Lyall's allowance, insisting that a werewolf having a pet would not be a wise idea, especially if that pet was a cat. The only thing now left to get was his wand.

This was what Remus had most been worried about throughout the day. What if he couldn't find a wand? What if none of them worked for him? What would he do then? Stepping inside Ollivanders Wand Shop Remus gasped at the number of wands there were. Stacked from floor to ceiling was box upon box all bearing the gold emblem of the shop. A desk pilled with papers sat near the back of the shop and behind it sat a man with a flurry of white wispy hair. His eyes fixed themselves upon Remus when they entered.

'Ah, another Hogwarts student,' said Ollivander slowly. 'I had presumed by now that I had sold all the new students their wands but it seems there is at least one more to still have his chosen for him.' He noticed Remus's look of confusion. 'It is not the wizard who chooses his wand, young master,' said Ollivander. 'It is the wand that chooses the wizard. It's not always clear why a wand will choose one wizard and not another; however, I have not yet failed to match a wizard to his or her wand regardless of how long it takes.'

With this assurance Remus relaxed and followed Ollivander's instructions. It took several goes, and several malfunctioning spells ('Don't worry, you're not the first student who's broken that window,' said Ollivander calmly as he charmed the broom to sweep up the glass) Remus's wand was found, a nice blend of Cypress wood with a unicorn core, ten and a quarter inches and quite pliable according to what Ollivander said.

With everything ready, all that was left was to board the train to Hogwarts on the first of September.

Remus thought the first day of school was going to be the best day of his life. He would be getting on to the Hogwarts Express and be hours away from arriving at Hogwarts which was to be his home from home for the next seven years. He thought today of all days Tala would finally come and see him off so that he could share this important moment with him. Standing on platform nine and three-quarters with his dad and trunk, Remus looked around for his mother and sister. All around him other parents were saying goodbye to their children and helping them on to the train. The older students were shrugging off their parents' goodbyes as they'd had them many times before while the new first years were a mix of eagerness and fear, either running from their parents for the train or clutching on to them for as long as possible. Remus felt very self-conscious standing there with his father, a feeling of overwhelming exposure having never really been surrounded by this many people before. And it didn't help that there was still no sign of his mum or little sister.

'Where are Mum and Tala?' Remus asked Lyall. 'You said they'd be here.'

Lyall looked down at his son. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'I thought they were going to be too,' he replied. 'I honestly did.'

Remus's heart fell. He didn't want to go off to Hogwarts without seeing Tala one last time. He hadn't seen her for weeks and her last visit had been brief. He missed her.

'I didn't want to go without seeing her, Dad,' said Remus miserably. 'I thought she'd want to be here too.'

'I'm sure she did,' Lyall told him, 'but Tala's got important things to do as well.' He took hold of the handle of Remus's trunk and started to drag it towards the train. A whistle had blown indicating it was going to leave soon and the platform was steadily emptying of families. 'Come on, son. Don't want to miss the train.'

Remus could see his father was trying to put on a brave face for him. He was as disappointed as Remus that Tala had failed to show up the day her brother left for school.

'Dad, we've got a few more minutes, please can we wait a little longer?' pleaded Remus. 'She'll be here, I know it.'

'There isn't time,' said Lyall, trying to be firm. 'If they aren't here now, it'll be too late by the time they are. Now remember, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you tomorrow before lessons start. His office is on the seventh floor behind a stone gargoyle. The password is on this piece of parchment.' Lyall handed Remus the parchment note that had been in the letter he'd received from Dumbledore. Remus placed it in his pocket. Lyall then pulled him into a hug. 'Good luck, son. Do us proud.' Lyall stood and smiled down at him. 'You ready?'

Remus looked away from him. He still had a saddened look on his face.

'Come on, Rem. You'll see her soon. I promise.'

'I still wish Tala was here,' said Remus. 'It's not like I'm going to transform on the platform.'

'I know,' said Lyall gently. 'I know you miss her but Tala won't be gone forever.' The whistle blew. 'Time to go. I'll see you at Christmas.'

'Yeah.' Lyall gave Remus one last hug. 'Bye, Dad. Say hi to Tal for me when you next see her.'

With a last pat on the shoulder Remus took hold of his drunk and got on the train. The whistle blew one final time and the doors along the carriages were being closed. It was as the platform fell silent though that Remus heard it. A gentle howl echoed through the emptying platform. Instantly, Remus looked round for the source. There, standing by the entrance to the platform was his mother smiling proudly back at him. Beside her, sitting obediently at her feet with a leash around her neck, Remus was interested to note, was a pale grey wolf with its tail wagging. It let out another soft howl when it realised Remus had seen it before looking up at his mother, their mother. For it was Tala sitting there in her wolf form, an achievement she had been working on for the last few months in order to show him before he left for school. Remus beamed, waved at them when he saw his dad joining them, then turned into the carriage, pulling the door shut behind him.

At the same time Remus had been saying his goodbyes to his father many other new first year students had been doing the same with their families. In amongst them a tall skinny eleven-year-old boy was pulling away from his mother's persistent attempts to clean the dirt off his face causing his circular glasses to be knocked off his nose. She hadn't even begun to attempt to flatten his jet-black hair, a task that always proved fruitless as it never stayed put.

'Mum!' moaned James Potter, batting away his mother's hand repeatedly. She continued to try and run her thumb over his cheek to get rid of the last smudge of dirt on it. She merely smiled at his protests. 'Get off, Mum! Come on, I've got to go! You don't see other parents doing this!'

While his mother continued her assault on his face, his father just laughed.

'Leave him alone, love,' he chuckled, eventually siding with his son. While a well-respected member of the wizarding community, even he didn't begrudge his son's messy appearance. 'It doesn't matter if he's got a bit of dirt on him on the train journey there. He _is_ an eleven-year-old boy after all. Boys his age get dirty.'

'He can't go to Hogwarts with dirt on his face,' responded James's mother. 'I won't have my son looking scruffy on his first day.'

'_Mum!_' protested James.

Ducking under her arm, James finally got free of her and ran to grab his trunk. His mother sighed as she finally admitted defeat, despairing of her young son. James was the spitting image of his father, a "smart mess" was how she described it but at least his father took some pride in his appearance. She was thankful though that James had inherited her sense of moral. _Oh well_, she thought, maybe it was just her and her old ways. She watched as her son talked eagerly to his father with his trunk in hand about Hogwarts and the Potter family House – Gryffindor. James was so excited and hoped he'd be in Gryffindor as well. He knew he would miss his mother's cooking while at school but James was sure he could manage away from her fussing for a couple of months.

'You sure you've packed everything?' he father asked. 'Got your wand? Robes? Books?'

'Yeah, I think everything's here,' said James, glancing at his trunk and the owl cage perched on top if. 'Clothes and books in trunk, wand in pocket, Valiant in his cage.'

'Then let's get you on board.'

As his father lifted his trunk on to the train, James was once again caught in his mother's grip for a final hug and kiss. He didn't fight her off this time, knowing it would be a good few months before he got another one of those, and said goodbye to her. James smiled when she released him and walked over to the carriage door where his father stopped him.

'You've definitely got everything?' he asked. 'Including the you-know-what?'

'Got it, Dad,' grinned James, knowing what he meant. 'Don't worry, Mum doesn't know.'

'That's my boy,' laughed his father. Well respected he may be, but even he enjoyed the occasional joke. He and James shared a grin. 'As I've always said, a little bit of mischief every now and then never did anyone any harm.'

It wasn't a little bit of mischief James Potter had in mind, however. James couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts and start learning as many practical jinxes he could get his hands on. He already had a handful of ones he wanted to find out. Some simply needed the perfect victim for the joke to be played on while others were on a bigger scale and required some assistance in pulling off. Little did James know that his future partner in crime was standing not five feet away from him a little bit further down the platform.

There were many old families still in existence in the wizarding world that prided themselves on the purity of their bloodlines. While some had died out through the refusal of marrying into Muggle families, others had gone to extraordinary lengths in order to preserve their family line with some members being disowned when they went against what was considered a family tradition. One of these families was the Black family. With their inherited good looks and wealth and one of the purest of bloodlines, the Blacks considered themselves practically royal in amongst the wizarding world (although behind closed the doors the family was wrought with inbreeding). In particular Orion and Walburga Black demanded the highest of respect afforded to them and gave their children the strictest of upbringings. An upbringing that caused their oldest son Sirius to become steadily more rebellious and disobedient the older he got.

For years the Black family had a proud tradition of being placed in Slytherin upon their arrival at Hogwarts and so it was their expectation that their two sons would continue the tradition through. Both Orion and Walburga had been in Slytherin, as were their parents before them. It would be a disgrace upon their family if Sirius didn't go into Slytherin, and his brother Regulus after him. Walburga considered all those who went against their family traditions as traitors to their bloodline and as a result they were disowned by the family and blasted off the Black Family Tapestry that hung at their home of Number Five Grimmauld Place.

Sirius Black stood a short distance from his parents as they spoke to his aunt and uncle, Cygnus and Druella. His cousins were also at Hogwarts. Andromeda, the middle sister, was going into her seventh and final year while Narcissa, the youngest, was in her fifth and about to start her OWLs. Their older sister, Bellatrix, was with them but she had already finished her education two years previous. All three had been Slytherins, even kind Andromeda, the only cousin Sirius actually liked. He disliked Narcissa for her shallow arrogance while he purely detested Bellatrix and everything she stood for like the rest of his family. Sirius glanced across at the three sisters. Narcissa was too engrossed in the appearance of her current boyfriend, Lucius Malfoy, a striking young wizard from another prestigious pure-blood family, to even notice he was watching them; when she notice his gaze, Andromeda sent Sirius a smile which he returned; as for Bellatrix, seeing him smile at her sister had caught her eye and caused her to hiss at him, her heavily darkened eyes glaring at him.

The three sisters possessed the unrivalled beauty that all Blacks inherited. Even Sirius at the young age of eleven had clear signs of his impending ascent into being a very handsome man in his elder years. They all shared a tall elegance, with most members retaining a naturally slender form and prominent dark features such as hair and eyes contrasting against their pale skin tone. Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa were a perfect example of their family's beauty. Each had tall and petit frames in perfect ratio to each other and the long flowing hair the Black women tended to inherit. Only Bellatrix had the true Black features though, with her thick black hair in heavy waves and dark eyes which she emphasised with spells. Narcissa was virtually her opposite with long blonde hair in soft curls and an uncharacteristic pair of blue eyes while Andromeda's hair was a warm light brown with eyes to match. While Sirius shared the same black hair and was yet to grow into his looks, that was about the only thing he had in common with his family.

_The sooner I'm away from them, the better_, thought Sirius grimly. Hogwarts had to be ten times better than his life at Grimmauld Place. No more blood-purity rants, no more emphasis on self-importance, and especially no more having to endure his smarmy little annoyance of a brother, Regulus. He was easily their parents' favourite out of the two of them, mainly because he was an irritating little suck up. He was going to be a Slytherin for sure when he started Hogwarts the next year.

'Come here, boy!' barked his father suddenly. Sirius groaned inwardly then skulked over to his family. Everyone was looking at him. 'You see these people before you?'

'Yes, sir,' replied Sirius.

'They are your family, proud members of the Slytherin House for generations,' said Orion. _Here we go again_, thought Sirius. 'Our family has prided itself on its heritage for years and that tradition has included the placement of its members in Salazar Slytherin's House. It is your duty to now continue that tradition and be placed in Slytherin like your cousins Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa were.'

'Yes, sir,' repeated Sirius.

'You are to inform us of your placement in Slytherin immediately,' continued Walburga. Sirius shivered; the thought of being put in Slytherin was enough to make him not want to go to Hogwarts. Walburga peered down her straight nose at her son. 'I want to know that my son has been enrolled into a House that displays his pure heritage, not one besmirched with Mudbloods and half-breeds, for Slytherins have the right to demand the upmost respect from those beneath them.'

Sirius glared at his mother from behind his hair. He hated that term she used – Mudbloods, a term used to describe wizards from Muggle families. In the eyes of the Blacks they were some of the lowest of the low and shouldn't be allowed to study magic because of their tainted blood. As for half-breeds, they were no better. While the term wasn't limited to those who were specifically part animal in Walburga's eyes as it appeared to imply, it instead referred to any wizard with mixed blood. Sirius found himself wishing he'd befriend someone who'd tick all these criteria just to see how much it was infuriate his parents.

'Yes, mother,' he replied, using the same monotonous tone as before.

'Don't use that tone when speaking to your mother!' snapped Orion. Sirius saw him raise his hand. Instinctively he ducked out of the way, moving closer to his trunk. Orion glared down at him. 'With any luck being in Slytherin will straighten you out, boy,' he growled. 'Remove all this Muggle-loving you somehow developed.'

Sirius nodded, silently thinking to himself, _Yeah, good luck with that._ Taking hold of his trunk Sirius dragged it over to the carriage door, his family remaining where they were to finish their goodbyes with his cousins instead of him. Sirius struggled to heave the load on to the train being the small first year he was. He tried a several times to haul it up the step when suddenly it lifted into the air and into the carriage. Sirius looked round to see Andromeda with her wand out. She smiled at him. Sirius smiled back.

'Thanks,' Sirius sighed. 'Thought I'd never get it up here.'

'Anything for my little cousin,' said Andromeda softly. 'Can't believe you're starting Hogwarts this year. I still remember you when you were only a baby.'

'Yeah, I know,' said Sirius happily. 'I can't wait. Means I can finally get away from _them_!'

He indicated their family. Orion and Walburga were still standing there, conversing with his aunt and uncle as well as two people with silver-blond hair Sirius assumed to be related to Narcissa's boyfriend. Both Bellatrix and Narcissa had chosen "fine specimens of wizards" to court in the eyes of their parents and his own. Another thing Sirius wished would happen: let him find the one person who embodied everything his parents hated and marry them so it made them related to everything they loathed.

'Sirius, they're your family, they mean well,' sighed Andromeda. She knew Sirius didn't get on with them. He had told her many times in the past. 'Just … try not to enrage Orion. Don't blow up any toilets or anything.'

'You told them about Ted yet?' countered Sirius. He raised his eyebrow at his cousin. Andromeda blushed. 'Talk about wand calling the cauldron black.'

'I know, I know. I'm just waiting for the right time.' The last whistle blew. 'Come on, let's get you a compartment.'

Andromeda took hold of her own trunk and led Sirius down the carriage to find a compartment for him. The first few were all full with older students but the fifth one along contained only two girls both about Sirius's age. Checking with them that it was all right for him to join then, Andromeda said goodbye to Sirius then left to find some of her friends. Sirius entered the compartment and took the seat opposite the girls, leaving his trunk on the floor beside him, who were talking animatedly to each other. One of them, a girl with long red hair, appeared to be a Muggle-born judging by all her questions to the brunette whom, Sirius assumed, had to be at least of half-blood parentage.

_Let's hope we become friends_, Sirius thought to himself. Being friends with a Muggle-born was guaranteed to enrage his parents.

'Hey, do you mind if I join you?' came a voice at the door.

Sirius and the two girls looked up to see James Potter now standing in the doorway. None objected much to his relief it seemed. James had been searching up and down for an empty compartment and had had no luck until he'd stumbled across this one. And by the looks of it he had found some students his own age.

'Here.' Sirius got up and together he and James lifted their trunks into the storage racks above the seats. 'I'm Sirius, by the way. Sirius Black.'

'James Potter,' replied James.

By the time the Hogwarts Express had pulled away from the station Remus was still looking for a compartment having been one of the last to get on. He dragged his heavy trunk down the corridors of the carriages, peering into each one to see if it was empty and quickly walking away if it was not. His nerves were getting the better of him, making him reluctant to ask any of the inhabitants of the compartments if he could join them. He was halfway down the train and still hadn't found an empty one for himself. Remus had just past a carriage of four other students who all looked his age at least but still he decided against going inside.

'Hey, want a seat?' called a voice as he passed by.

Remus looked back into the compartment. One of the two black-haired boys, the one whose hair stood up alarmingly at the back even for its short length, had addressed him. He had a thin face and pointed nose upon which sat circular glasses ever so slightly askew, a pair of hazel eyes watching him with the same cheerfulness that matched the grin on his face. The other boy, whose hair was slightly longer that fell with a casual elegance either side of his face and had grey eyes, was also smiling at him. They were waiting for his answer.

'Er, sure,' said Remus.

James and Sirius got up and helped Remus get his trunk into the storage rack. They sat back down, James and Sirius on one seat and Remus on the other next to the two girls. They gave him a quick smile before returning to their own conversation.

'So what's your name?' James asked Remus.

'Remus, Remus Lupin,' Remus answered. He could hear his voice shaking. He'd never had to introduce himself before. 'You?'

'I'm James Potter,' said James.

'And I'm Sirius Black,' added Sirius.

'Nice to meet you,' said Remus. There was a bit of an awkward silence where the boys merely stared at each other. Thankfully for Remus, James took charge of the conversation.

'So are your parents wizards too?' he asked. 'Both of ours are.' James indicated Sirius and himself. 'Our families have been wizards for generations.'

James wasn't intentionally bragging despite how it sounded to Remus. He had noted the well cared for air about James whereas Sirius was leaner and pale though it might have been his family traits. Remus didn't know which. James was dressed in a t-shirt bearing the name of a popular wizarding band Remus had heard of and jeans while Sirius wore smart black trousers, white shirt and tie loose around his neck. His uncomfortable shifting made Remus think he'd been forced into these clothes much against his will.

'My Dad is,' replied Remus. 'He was in Ravenclaw when he went to Hogwarts. My Mum isn't though. She's a Muggle.'

Sirius's ears perked up at this. Remus was a half-blood. And James was from a pure-blood family like himself, but the Potters were considered traitors for mixing with Muggles in the eyes of the Blacks. Both Sirius knew would make his parents angry if he decided to be friends with them.

'So what House do you think you'll be in?' Sirius asked him.

'Ravenclaw I guess,' said Remus. 'Don't children usually get placed in the same houses as their families?'

'Some do,' said James. 'Most of my family have been in Gryffindor though I know some have been in other Houses. Do you have any relatives at Hogwarts?'

'I have a little sister, but she's not going to be at Hogwarts for another year,' said Remus. 'What about you, Sirius?'

'My cousins have all gone to Hogwarts,' replied Sirius. 'Andromeda's in her final year, and Narcissa's in her fifth year. Their sister finished two years ago. I've got a younger brother too so he'll be joining next year as well.'

The door of the compartment slid open causing James, Sirius and Remus too look up to see who the new arrival was. It was another boy barely older than the three of them and could only really be described as odd looking. He was no taller than Remus and very skinny with pale, almost deathly white skin. His black hair fell limply like greasy curtains either side of his face in a completely different way to Sirius's as he peered down his hooked nose at all those gathered in the compartment. His black eyes made his pallid complexion look even more washed out, his clothes baggy and old indicating he didn't come from a wealthy family like James or Sirius. They found who he was looking for, the redhead girl sitting in the corner by the window.

'Lily,' he started making her look at him.

'I don't want to talk to you,' she replied. Her voice had become quiet and strained, not how it had been while she had been talking to the girl beside her.

'Why not?' asked the boy.

'Tuney h – hates me,' said the girl angrily. 'Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.'

'So what?'

The girl threw the boy a look of disgust.

'So she's my sister!'

'She's only a –' the boy stopped himself. 'But we're going!' he then exclaimed. 'This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!' The girl took in his excited statement and appeared to consider it before slowly nodding. 'You'd better be in Slytherin,' said the boy happily.

'Slytherin?'

Silence fell in the compartment at James's outburst. Everyone looked at him. The boy with the hooked nose eyes had narrowed into a glare.

'Who wants to be in Slytherin?' asked James. 'I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?'

He directed this at Sirius. Sirius shrank back in his seat.

'My whole family have been in Slytherin,' he said quietly.

'Blimey,' James stared at him, surprised, 'and I thought you seemed all right.'

A grin started at the corners of Sirius's lips. He was all right, in James's opinion, despite the fact his family had all been Slytherins? His spirits finally lifted about the idea of being Sorted with a renewed hope for which House he'd be placed in.

'Maybe I'll break the tradition,' said Sirius. 'Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?'

James lifted his hand clenched as if it was holding a sword.

'"_Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!_" Like my Dad.'

The pale boy in the doorway snorted. The idea of being in Gryffindor was as detestable to him as the idea of being in Slytherin was to James. Who'd want to be in a House where most of its members were known for their muscle and not their intelligence? James glared at him.

'Got a problem with that?'

'No,' sneered the boy. 'But if you'd rather be brawny than brainy –'

'Where're you hoping to go then, seeing as you're neither?' countered Sirius.

James laughed. Sirius smirked at the pale boy. He'd flushed at his remark. Throughout the confrontation, Remus remained silent not really knowing what to do or say. The girl in the corner, Lily, had sat up. A red flush had also appeared in her cheeks and she was looking at James and Sirius with great dislike.

'Come on, Severus,' she said, standing up, 'let's find another compartment.'

She walked past James, Sirius and Remus and out of the compartment, the boy Severus following her. James and Sirius "Ooh-ed" as she passed; he stuck his leg out to trip Severus up when he headed for the door. Lily shot James a deep glare when she saw this. They left. The girl who'd been beside Lily followed shortly after them.

'See ya, Snivellus!' shouted Sirius as the door closed behind them.

'Check her out,' laughed James. 'She wants to be in Slytherin? What is she, a Muggle-born? Everyone knows about Slytherin's reputation. Interested in the Dark Arts, the lot of them.'

'What about him?' added Sirius. '_Severus_. Right little oddball, wasn't he, Remus?'

Remus started when Sirius addressed him. It felt strange to be asked something directly by someone he'd only just met. He and James were looking at him expectantly.

'Er,' Remus swallowed, 'he … looked like he needed to wash his hair?' Remus ventured. It took a moment then James nodded in agreement.

'I know, did you see how greasy it was?' James laughed. 'It looked like it hadn't been washed in years.'

'He'll fit right in in Slytherin the, greasy git,' said Sirius. 'And if he's in Slytherin, I'm certainly not going there.'

James grinned. Sirius returned it.

'You know what,' he continued, 'this is looking to be the start of a great year. I hope we all get into the same House together. All three of us.'

_All three of us?_ thought Remus. Did that mean what he thought it meant? That he had friends?

'Totally, agreed James, 'and we all know which one that will be.'

'Gryffindor!' shouted Sirius.

'Where dwell the brave at heart!'

'Their daring, nerve and chivalry –'

'– set Gryffindors apart!' chorused the two boys.

Remus sat quietly next to James and Sirius whooped and cheered beside him. He didn't have the nerve to point out that it was in fact the Sorting Hat that decided which House they would go into, not them. But the fact that they had said they wanted to be in the same House with him had released an excitement in Remus's chest that he'd never felt before, a thrill rushing through his veins. He'd never had friends before. Was this what having friends felt like? It seemed, as Sirius had commented, that this was going to be a very good year indeed. But then Remus remembered about his lycanthropy. If James and Sirius became his friends, how was he going to hide it from them? And if they found out, would he still be their friend afterwards?

The hours flew by as the train chugged along onwards to Hogwarts. When they were almost there, James, Sirius and Remus changed into their uniform. First years that hadn't been Sorted were only required to wear their white shirts and grey trousers with a plain black tie bearing the Hogwarts crest; they would wear the full uniform including their House tie and blazers from the following day. Night had completely fallen by the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. The students disembarked on to the lamp-lit platform, the older ones heading for the carriages that would take them up to the castle while the first years looked around anxiously for what to do. James, Sirius and Remus left their compartment and joined the line to get on to the platform. They looked around with curiosity for what was going to happen.

'Firs' years! Firs' years, this way!'

A very large man carrying a lantern was walking towards them up the platform. Waving a hand the size of a dinner plate he called over the new first years to follow him. Looking around, Remus could see many of his year group were as intimidated as he was by this giant of a man. Beside him, however, James strode forwards and led the way, Sirius following shortly behind him. Seeing James taking the lead seemed to encourage the rest of the group and so one by one began to follow the man, who introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, down to a lakeside where dozens of boats were moored. Illuminated by the moonlight on the opposite side was the Hogwarts castle. James, Sirius and Remus gathered in a boat together; across from them the two girls from earlier and the boy, Severus, were sharing one; Hagrid was in a boat all on his own. James watched as Severus helped Lily into their boat, a dark look on his face.

_Let them both be in Slytherin_, he thought to himself. James turned away when Hagrid's voice called out for them to hold on. With a wave of what looked like a pink umbrella, the boats began to float across the water towards the castle. _Serves her right if she gets mixed up in the Dark Arts_.

The boats crossed the lake silently in the darkness. One by one they pulled up at the boathouse and the students disembarked. Following Hagrid, they climbed the long staircase that wound up the side of the mountain Hogwarts stood on. The only light was that from the lantern Hagrid was carrying and those that were spaced at regular intervals up the stairs. They seemed like they were never going to end. When it felt like they were about halfway up, Sirius looked up to see how many were left only to find there was still a good hundred more. He groaned. Eventually they passed through an archway into a stone courtyard.

'Just ahead is the Entrance Hall,' called Hagrid over your shoulder. At the doorway to the building Hagrid had pointed out stood a tall and rather severe looking woman dressed in dark green robes. Her black hair was drawn back into a tight bun on the top of her head while her cat-like eyes peered at the approaching students through her square spectacles. 'Professor McGonagall will take it from here.'

Hagrid stopped. The first years gathered together behind him.

'New firs' years, Professor.'

'Thank you, Hagrid,' replied Professor McGonagall briskly. She had a strong Scottish accent. 'You can leave them here.'

Hagrid nodded then strode off inside the castle. Professor McGonagall turned to the first years, her eyes peering at them all.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' began Professor McGonagall. 'I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors into the Great Hall where you will be Sorted into your Houses in front of the rest of the school. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.'

There was a slight downward inflection in McGonagall's tone when she said the final House. James and Sirius shared a look. Beside them, Remus swallowed down his nerves. He didn't realised he was going to be Sorted into his House in front of the entire school. A few students behind them Severus looked at Lily and smiled at the mention of Slytherin. Lily smiled back but there was a hesitance in it; before she had left when that arrogant boy had insulted Severus, the girl she'd been talking to, Alice, had told her about the Hogwarts Houses and Slytherin didn't sound like a particularly friendly House to be in. Dark wizards apparently came from that House. Lily didn't want to get involved with Dark magic or be in a House which liked it. She just didn't have the heart to say this to Severus.

'Throughout the year,' Professor McGonagall continued, 'your House will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, while any rule breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the House with the most points earns the House Cup.'

'What's the fun in that?' whispered James. Sirius sniggered. Professor McGonagall's eyes turned sharply to look at him. Sirius jumped and promptly stopped giggling, the grin returning however once McGonagall had looked away.

'Now, if you would all like to follow me, the Sorting Ceremony can begin.'

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and swept out of the doorway. The students followed. She led them across the Entrance Hall to a pair of large doors. They opened as they approached, revealing the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Four long tables ran the length of the Hall, one for each House respectively, with all the students in years two to seven sat along the benches. Down the far end were some empty seats at each table which were for the new students. Looking up there was no visible ceiling to speak of but instead a view of the night sky outside, the starts glistening in the darkness. Thousands of candles floated in the air below the sky illuminating the room in addition to the lamps along the walls. There was a fifth table set up at the far end stage where all the teachers were sat. In the middle of them was a large golden throne-line chair. Albus Dumbledore sat smiling down at the new arrivals as they followed Professor McGonagall up the central aisle. In front of the teachers' table stood a solitary stool with what looked like an old hat perched upon it. Professor McGonagall walked up the two steps and stood beside it, directing the first years to stand in front of her.

'Before we begin,' said Professor McGonagall in a clear voice to the entire school, 'Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words.'

James, Sirius and Remus looked at each other. Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat, his long beard flowing down his body and tied neatly in the middle, dressed in long midnight blue robes with small golden stars on them. His blue eyes twinkled behind the half moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose as he observed his students before him. He smiled and held out his arms in greeting.

'To all the new students,' he said warmly, his voice echoing in the Hall, 'welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To all returning students, welcome back. I trust you all had a restful and enjoyable summer and are ready to begin another year of magical study. There are some announcements that I must make before we begin the Sorting.

'Mr Pringle,' Dumbledore gestured towards a balding man standing at the back of the Hall, a cane gripped in his hand, 'has reminded me for the two hundredth and ninety-third time that no magic is allowed in the corridors or between classes, and that the new first years must take note that the Dark Forest located in the school grounds is strictly forbidden to all those who do not wish to suffer a most painful death.'

'Cool,' breathed both James and Sirius at the same time. They shared a grin.

'Professor McGonagall, if you please.'

Professor Dumbledore sat back down in his seat. The old hat that was sitting on the stool in front of the first years, which up until now had been completely still and silent, suddenly sprang into life. The folds in its point became what looked like eyes and peered at all the students while a rip near the brim began to move like a pair of lips.

'_Oh you may not think I'm pretty_,' it sang in a gravelly voice, '_or think I'm smart or quick. But I'm the smartest hat you'll meet, and your Hogwarts House I'll pick_.'

As quickly as the Sorting Hat had sprung to life did it fall lifeless again. Professor McGonagall picked up a scroll of parchment that was lying beside it.

'You will now be Sorted into your Houses one by one in alphabetical order,' she announced. She unrolled the parchment. 'Now when I call your name you will come forth, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be Sorted into your House and can join them at the respective tables. Avery, Wilson!'

A skinny boy with brown hair hesitantly stepped away from the group and sat down on the stool. It took only a few moments before the Hat shouted out _Slytherin_. Avery jumped off the stool and hurried over to the table on the far right hand side to the group. Sirius was directly after him. He approached the stool and the Hat was placed on his head.

'Interesting, very interesting,' murmured the Hat. 'I remember Sorting your mother and father, and your other relations. Many Slytherins they have been. You, however, you are very different.' Sirius swallowed, not knowing if this was a good thing or a bad thing. 'I know where to put you. _Gryffindor!_'

A grin broke on to Srius's face at this. He wasn't in Slytherin! His eyes caught James's in the crowd in front of him. James beamed and gave him a thumbs up. He then looked over at the Slytherin table. Andromeda was smiling and clapping along with the rest of the school; a few students up from her, Narcissa and her boyfriend Lucius didn't look best pleased and neither were clapping like many members of their House. Still, Sirius didn't care. He practically jumped off the stool and ran towards the cheering Gryffindors, taking the first empty seat to watch the rest of the Sorting.

A handful of students later, the name '_Evans, Lily_' was called and the redhead girl James, Sirius and Remus had met on the train walked up to the platform. Lily glanced across at Severus then approached the stool. The Hat was placed on her head. She hoped to get into the same House as Severus, even if it was Slytherin. Although she knew about its reputation Lily would rather be in a House with her best friend than in one with someone she disliked, like those boys from the train. Barely a second after touching her red hair, the Sorting Hat cried _Gryffindor!_ While Lily was relieved to a certain extent to not be in Slytherin, Severus was disappointed. They were never going to be in the same House now. Lily got up from the stool, took the Hat off, and headed for the cheering table. Severus caught her eye as she passed. She gave him a small smile and looked away. She saw Sirius was clapping her but she didn't sit next to him, instead taking a seat next to a different first year on the opposite side.

After Lily, a boy named Frank Longbottom was the next to be placed in Gryffindor, followed closely by Remus. The sense of relief he felt when he was placed in the same House as Sirius was overwhelming although he still doubted his abilities at living up to the House's brave name. If James got into Gryffindor too though then things would be perfect. When his name was called, James strode with confidence up to the stool and sure enough was placed in the House of his family, taking a seat next to Remus to watch the rest of the Sorting. Only four more students joined them after James including the other girl Alice Prewett from the train, while Severus was placed in Slytherin, before the Sorting was complete. Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat for a second time.

'I'd just like to say a few more words to you all before you become too befuddled with our excellent feast,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'They are twiddle, flabbergast and jeepers. Now please, enjoy the start of term feast.'

With a clap of his hands the empty plates and bowls along the tables were suddenly filled with an opulent array of food and drink. Remus had never seen so much food in his life. James and Sirius, however, had already loaded their plates with food and were happily indulging themselves. Remus watched them with a look of surprise on his face, then made a start on his own food shaking his head but smiling. On the opposite side Lily was staring at her food, disappointed she and Severus had been separated _and _she was in the same House as those two toerags from the train. Still, she was in Gryffindor, the most renowned of Hogwarts Houses, and the girl Alice she'd met on the train was too. That had to be a bonus.

Once all the students had finished their first course, the platters magically emptied to be replaced with mountains of desserts. There were trifles and ice creams and pies and cakes galore. Once they too had been consumed Professor Dumbledore dismissed the students to their House dormitories, informing first years that their House Prefects would lead them to their assigned dormitories. Sure enough a boy and girl of about fifteen walked over to where the first year Gryffindors were gathered and took them out of the Hall. They followed them back into the Entrance Hall and up the large marble staircase and towards the Grand Staircase, the most direct route to all the floors and dormitories in the castle. As the Gryffindors were led off to the left to go up to the seventh floor, Lily saw Severus look sadly across at her before disappearing to the right on the staircase that led to the dungeons. Lily sighed, quickly hurrying after the rest of her House.

The Gryffindor Tower was located on the seventh floor corridor behind a portrait of a rather large lady dressed in a silk pink dress, aptly named The Fat Lady. The male Prefect gave her the password when she asked for it, _Flobberworm,_ and the portrait swung open and admitted them. The Gryffindor common was a large and comfy looking circular room with a staircase that divided into two further up on the opposite side to the entrance, one for the boys dormitories and one for the girls. There was a roaring fire in the large fireplace to the right of the entrance as well as comfortable sofas and chairs covering in red and gold material dotted about the room with tables and bookcases as well. Portraits and hangings in the Gryffindor colours adorned the walls and there were two high glass windows looking out to the grounds. It was a very welcoming sight to see after the long train journey. Here the Prefects left them and the first years separated, some going to sit down in the common room, some going upstairs to find their dormitories.

James, Sirius and Remus all headed upstairs leaving Frank Longbottom and the other boy, a small squat one by the name of Peter Pettigrew talking downstairs. They walked up the stairs and took the left hand divide to go up the small tower housing the boys' dormitories. They came to a door with 'first years' written on in gold letters. James pushed it open. Inside the round room were five beds, one for each of the boys. Their trunks were already there at the end of their beds. Tired from the day and full from dinner, the boys decided to get ready for bed.

'Hogwarts is great, isn't it?' sighed James. He jumped on to the bed with his trunk at the foot of it and lay back on the pillows. He stretched, enjoying the comfort. 'Comfy bed and good food, what more could a wizard want?'

'We've still got lessons,' said Remus. As it was quiet he saw it as the perfect time to unpack his things before school started tomorrow instead of leaving it and living out his trunk for the first term. He pulled out his pyjamas and put them on his bed. 'If we want to progress to the second year we're going to have to work hard to pass our exams.'

'Chill out, Remus, we've only been here five minutes,' said Sirius. His bed was next to James's, Remus's on the other side of the door to theirs. 'Lesson's don't start until tomorrow, then we've got the whole year to study. We can start worrying about all that tomorrow.' Sirius's face then broke into a grin. 'Oh, I can't wait to write back to mum and dad saying I got into Gryffindor. They're going to be furious!'

James laughed. Remus was confused.

'Why?' he asked. 'Surely they'd be pleased with whichever House you were in? My Dad's going to be happy I'm in Gryffindor.'

'Not mine,' said Sirius. 'Slytherin is my family House. They've been in for generations, as have all the Black family relatives. They've got a lot of traditions and if you didn't follow them, you were a disgrace and my mum would blast you off the family tapestry.' Sirius mimed using his wand to blast something in the air above him. 'It's what happened to my relative, Cedrella. She married into the Weasley family who, while they're pure-bloods, are blood traitors in my family's eyes for their Muggle loving. They're going to love the fact I've also made friends with a Potter and a half-blood.'

'I'm another blood traitor, am I?' chuckled James. 'Well better that than a pure-blood fanatic.'

'Seconded,' agreed Sirius. 'Ah well, looks like I've disgraced my family even more. What a shame. Still, rather be a Gryffindor than in Slytherin with old Snivellus.'

That suddenly reminded Sirius of something. He turned to James.

'Did you see that Evans girl got into Gryffindor,' said Sirius. 'What d'you think of that?'

'I don't care,' shrugged James. 'So what if she's in Gryffindor? Not my fault the Sorting Hat put her in the wrong House if she wanted to be in Slytherin with her slimy friend.'

'But if the Hat put her in Gryffindor then she must have some of the qualities the House represents,' said Remus. 'The same goes for all of us, doesn't it?'

'In general,' said James. He sat up, looking at his new friends. 'I mean, there are always those who go into one House but don't display any of their characteristics throughout their time here and afterwards. The Sorting Hat is never one hundred per cent accurate. But like I said, who cares. She's just some girl. It's not like we're ever going to be friends if she's friends with that slimy git.'

'Yeah,' agreed Sirius. 'We all got into Gryffindor, that's what matters.'

James nodded though his thoughts weren't entirely with Sirius's statement. Despite his words, James too was curious as to why the Evans girl had been placed in Gryffindor and if she'd show the qualities it had. Whoever wanted to be in Slytherin couldn't be good.

All of a sudden a pillow smacked James in the face. Without warning Sirius had snuck over to his bed and whacked James with his pillow. James retaliated without hesitation and soon the three boys were chasing each other around their dormitory engaged in a pillow fight.

On the other side of the Tower Lily was sitting crossed-legged on her bed and half-heartedly unpacking her trunk. She was sharing with four other girls – Alice, the short haired brunette she'd spoken to on the train; a girl with wavy dirty-blonde hair called Mary Macdonald; another blonde with short straight hair by the name of Dorcas Meadowes; and another dark brunette by the name of Rosie Dingle – who were all talking happily to each other as they unpacked. Lily didn't join in. She was still disappointed that she and Severus had been Sorted into different Houses. It was him who had told her about the wizarding world, who had told her she was a witch, and about Hogwarts in the first place. It didn't feel right that they weren't sharing the full experience together.

Alice saw Lily sitting quietly on her bed.

'Lily?' she said quietly, gaining her attention. 'Are you OK?'

'Yeah, I'm fine,' Lily mumbled. 'I'm just a bit disappointed. I really wanted to be in the same House as Severus, that's all.'

'You'll still have classes with him,' said Alice. 'And see him everyday around the castle. But the Sorting Hat puts people in their Houses for a reason. You obviously possessed the qualities Godric Gryffindor had – bravery and nerve and chivalry while your friend –'

'Severus,' interrupted Lily.

'– obviously had the qualities of a Slytherin – ambition and cunning and such.'

'What's the harm in that?' asked Lily. 'It's not right separating people because of their characteristics.' She sighed and rested her chin on her hand. She tugged at a loose thread in her bedspread. 'I wish Severus could be in Gryffindor too.'

'Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that,' said Alice. She had cringed inwardly at Lily's comment though. By appearance, Severus certainly looked like he belonged in Slytherin. He had this slimy look about him because of his pale skin, black greasy hair and skinny body who looked like he'd snitch on you the moment you did something wrong. As for personality, Alice couldn't comment. 'But like I said, you'll still have classes with him. Gryffindor and Slytherin usually have Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes together in first year.'

'Really?' asked Lily. Alice nodded. 'Does that mean all our classes are with the other students in our House?'

'Yes,' said Alice, 'until third year when you make you choose two extra subjects to study and then when you start studying for your OWLs and NEWTs.' Lily groaned. She knew what that meant. 'What's wrong with that?'

'That means we've got to have lessons with that toerag, James Potter and his friend Sirius. The ones who called Severus names and teased him.'

'They're just boys,' said Alice. 'All boys are immature at this age. They can't be that bad, can they? I mean, their friend, Remus, seemed all right.'

'I don't know,' said Lily. 'But I don't like those boys. They just seem like a pair of bullying toerags and the less I have to do with the them, the better.'

* * *

**AN: updated like the previous chapters have been. rest will soon be updated as well most likely to restore continuity**


	5. Lifelong Enemies

Chapter 5

Lifelong Enemies

The next morning when Remus woke, his first thought was that the previous day had been one glorious dream. That he'd travelled to Hogwarts School and made two friends on the journey there who he was now in Gryffindor with hadn't actually been real. He opened his eyes and blinked before sitting up. Remus looked around to see two black haired boys lying fast asleep in the bed across from him, another two boys asleep in the other two beds in the dormitory. A smile graced his face. It wasn't a dream; it was real!

Checking the time, Remus got silently out of his bed and got dressed in his school robes. He still had to see Professor Dumbledore before breakfast. He pulled on his trousers and shirt then tied his new Gryffindor tie around his neck under his collar. Behind him Remus could hear Sirius's snores, his mouth hanging open, fast asleep on his front with his sheets down at his feet. James meanwhile had one leg hanging off the edge of the bed while his hair was standing on end. Remus quickly pulled a comb through his hair (something he thought James's hair would certainly benefit from) and brushed his teeth at the dormitory sink. All ready, he left the dormitory.

The common room was empty unsurprisingly. It was only just seven o'clock and breakfast wasn't until eight. It would be later in the year when exams and revision were happening that you would find the older students up at this time. Remus walked across the common room and out of the portrait hole.

Remus made his way silently through the corridors back towards where he remembered the Changing Staircase to be. He walked down half a dozen flights of stairs back to the third floor, following the directions on the piece of parchment in his hand to the Headmaster's Office. It was rather nice walking through the silent corridors. The calm before the storm: when all the students awoke and the school year officially began. Patches of sunlight shone on to the stone floor as the sun got higher in the sky. Checking the parchment one last time, Remus turned the corner. A large stone gargoyle sat in an alcove at the far end of the corridor; the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. Remus walked up to it, his eyes wide at how large it was. Then again, he was just a small first year. He stood there for a minute or so before he remembered he still needed to say the password to be able to enter the Tower. He looked at the parchment.

'Sugar Quills?' Remus read aloud, slightly perplexed. What sort of password was that? Suddenly the stone gargoyle sprung to life and jumped to one side. A spiral stone staircase began to rise up from where the gargoyle had previously been. Quickly recovering from the surprise, Remus stepped on to it and was taken up the tower. Once at the top, he climbed the remaining stairs and stopped in front of a large oak door. Remus knocked twice on it.

'Come in,' replied a soft voice Remus recognised.

Remus took hold of the handle and pushed the heavy door open. Once again surprise took hold of him at the sight he saw. Professor Dumbledore's Office was a large round room made up of two floors separated by two small staircases either side of a balcony. The walls of the room was lined with books upon books on both levels, the upper of which seemed to have a series of astrology equipment including a telescope set up in front of the large window. On the lower floor, there were several cabinets and tables in between the bookcases holding all sorts of small spindly silver instruments that gently whirred and moved on their own accord; portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses lined the walls, all of them still snoozing in their frames; in the centre of the room was a large dark wood desk with various books and pieces of parchments on it, a stand just behind that where the most magnificent phoenix sat. Remus had never seen a phoenix in real life before. He found it hard to believe so much could be fit into what looked like such a small Tower.

Professor Dumbledore sat behind his desk. He looked up at Remus as he walked nervously forward. His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles and he smiled at the new student.

'Ah, Mr Lupin,' he said lightly. Remus nodded. 'Please, no need for nerves. Oh, and do have a seat. I find when people stand in here, it seems to clutter it up.'

Remus found that slightly hard to believe considering all the things the room already contained. Still, he took the seat Professor Dumbledore indicated on the other side of his desk. He remained silent as Professor Dumbledore continued to write on the sheet of parchment in front of him and didn't address him for the next few minutes. He seemed in no hurry either. With a tap of his wand, the parchment Professor Dumbledore had been writing on rolled itself up and vanished.

'I hope,' began Professor Dumbledore; he sat back in his chair, a serene look on his face and his fingers together in front of him at the tips, 'your first night at Hogwarts was enjoyable with your fellow first year Gryffindors. I believe Mr Potter and Mr Black will be positive influences on you in your future years, as I believe you will be on them.'

Remus was taken aback. How did Professor Dumbledore know he'd already made friends with James and Sirius? And what did he mean by them being positive influences on each in their future years? As Remus would come to learn, this wouldn't be the first time in his life Professor Dumbledore would let on about how much he knew about the goings on of his students' lives.

'Now all the preparations and precautions for your transformations are now in place,' Dumbledore continued, 'so you are free to start your studies without any concern. All you have to do is make your excuses to your friends on the night of the full moon and make your way to the Hospital Wing where either Madam Pomfrey or Professor McGonagall will escort you down to the entrance at the Whomping Willow in the grounds. They will then collect you the following morning and take you back to the Hospital Wing to recover where you will be kept hidden from the school so as not to contradict your disappearance.'

Remus nodded. It seemed simple enough the way Professor Dumbledore explained it. There was only one thing bothering him.

'Er, Professor,' said Remus nervously. 'Can I ask you something?'

'You already have,' replied Professor Dumbledore lightly. 'But you may ask me one thing more.'

'What am I going to say when people notice me getting ill every month?' asked Remus. 'They're bound to realise eventually that whatever excuse I give isn't true when I'm the one getting sick.'

'That, Mr Lupin, I cannot help you with, I'm afraid,' said Professor Dumbledore gently. He got up and went to stroke the phoenix on the stand. It let out a soft note of song. 'However, I do not believe you have cause for concern. Only those of importance to you, and to whom you are also important, will notice your illness. And when they do, you'll know what to say to them when they ask.'

'Er, yes, Professor,' said Remus, though he didn't think his question had been answered.

'Do you have any more questions?' asked Professor Dumbledore. Remus shook his head. 'Then may I suggest you make your way down to breakfast. I suggest you try the pancakes. The house-elves always manage to get them just the right thickness.'

Remus nodded and got up. He walked over to the door and left the office while Dumbledore returned to the parchment on his desk. Remus walked slowly back to the Changing Staircase as he mulled over Professor Dumbledore's words. Only those important to him would notice? As would only the ones he was important to? What did he mean by that? And how would he know what to say to them? Remus didn't even know what he'd tell his own sister and she was the most important person in his life. How would he tell other people when they asked?

'Oi, Remus!'

Remus looked up to see Sirius and James coming down the staircase from the fourth floor. Both were dressed in their school uniform which, Remus noticed, both had modified as neither had their collar buttons done up and their ties were tied loosely round their necks. James's hair didn't even look like he'd attempted to brush it.

'Where've you been?' asked Sirius, nudging Remus in the ribs when they reached him. 'We got up to find you were gone.'

'I went for a walk,' replied Remus. He didn't like lying, mainly because he wasn't very good at it. But this wasn't technically a lie, he just wasn't saying exactly where he'd been. 'Wanted to find the Owlery so I could send a letter home to Dad.'

'I think that's on the fifth floor,' said James. 'It's one of the higher up Towers, that's for sure.'

The three boys continued down the Changing Staircase. While being the most direct route through Hogwarts, as the name suggested, the stairs would change at any minute on their own accord that could either make your journey quicker or longer. It certainly surprised the some of the first years as they made their way down to the Great Hall. James, Sirius and Remus reached the last staircase before the ones leading to the dungeons and walked down the Marble Staircase and over to the Great Hall. The sound of chatter echoed out from inside. At that moment James's stomach rumbled.

'Merlin, I'm starving,' he moaned. That so far was the one thing about being in Gryffindor James wasn't keen on; how long it took to get down to the Great Hall to get food. 'I wish there was a quicker way down here.'

'There probably is,' said Sirius. James and Remus looked at him curiously. 'There's bound to be dozens of passageways dotted around a castle as old as this. It'd be cool if we could find them, wouldn't it?'

'Yeah,' agreed James, 'that'd be brilliant, a quicker way to food. Hey, maybe there's one that leads specifically to the kitchens or something?'

'I didn't mean it quite like that,' said Sirius, 'but a good idea either way.' His stomach too had started rumbling.

Remus laughed.

'James, they're not going to run out of food before you get down to the Great Hall,' he said. 'There'll be plenty of food left when we get there. You saw how much the house-elves made last night and how much was leftover afterwards.'

Remus was right. By the time the three boys got there, breakfast was in full swing. The atmosphere was completely different to the previous night that Remus swore the number of students had doubled overnight. The Hall was full of noise and talk as the older students caught up with their friends while the first years slowly began to mingle with the other members of their Houses. The tables were lined with plates of food, enough to settle even James and Sirius's seemingly insatiable appetites. Cereals, jugs of orange and pumpkin juice, pots of tea and hot chocolate, yoghurts, fruits, pancakes, toast and jams, as well as piles of cooked foods like sausages, bacon and eggs. Seeing the glorious abundance, James, Sirius and Remus found themselves three seats about a third of the way down the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to some breakfast. Just to their left of them, James could see the other two boys in their year.

A little further up the table sat Lily and Alice. Both looked very smart in their school robes with their shirts tucked into their grey skirts, socks pulled up and shoes polished, ties tied neatly under their collars, and hair brushed and tied up in a ponytail in Lily's case. They were ready for their first day. While Alice was happily talking to Dorcas about what their first day of lessons could be, Lily meanwhile was a bit too preoccupied to participate. She was looking for Severus over at the Slytherin table. She was hoping they'd have at least one lesson together today so she could talk to him about the previous night. Severus walked into the Hall a few moments later. Lily saw him catch her gaze but when she made to wave, Severus walked off with a group of Slytherins in their year who'd entered just after him. Disheartened, Lily returned to her breakfast.

'So what _did_ you mean?' asked James, taking another bite of cereal.

'You what?' asked Sirius.

'About the passageways. What did you mean?'

'Oh, that.' Sirius took a sip of his pumpkin juice then lowered his voice so only James and Remus could hear him, although Remus was currently reading a copy of the Daily Prophet he'd borrowed from a third year beside him. 'What I meant was, if we could find them, we could get all around the castle, even into the grounds without anyone knowing. Think of what we could do with that information, all the pranks we could pull.'

James grinned. Remus's ears perked up and he glanced at the other two.

'I think you're on to something there, Sirius,' said James. He fell silent for a moment, chewing on a piece of toast. 'The older students might already know about some of them, having been here a while. Last thing they'd expect is a couple of first years setting traps in the passageways. As for sneaking out of the castle, we'd have to be careful. The old caretaker might know about those passageways. But if it means we could sneak into Hogsmeade, it'd be worth it. It's not really fair only third years up get to go there.'

'Are you guys seriously already thinking about sneaking out the castle?' whispered Remus. 'We haven't even been here one day yet. We shouldn't be planning to sneak out of the school. We'll get in trouble.'

'Ah, where's your sense of adventure, Remus?' said Sirius jovially. 'All spells and no jinxes make Sirius a dull wizard.'

'Yeah,' added James. 'It's like my Dad says: the _right_ amount of mischief never did anyone any harm. You never know, it might do you some good, Remus.' Remus blinked at that statement. Didn't Professor Dumbledore say something like that to him in his office just now? 'Though,' continued James, unaware of Remus's thoughts, 'it does take time to plan a good prank. We'd have to test things out before we pulled any.'

'Start small and work up, I say,' said Sirius. He then grinned. 'I've got loads of good ones up my robes. Played them on my brother whenever I got the chance even if mum and dad usually gave me a right cursing afterwards. Was always worth it though.'

James and Sirius's talk of pranks continued for the rest of breakfast until Remus noticed Professor McGonagall walking along the aisle by their table to hand out their timetables. He nudged them to fall silent as she approached them. Professor McGonagall handed the three boys their timetables before moving on to give Lily and Alice theirs. James, Sirius and Remus looked at them.

'Not a bad day,' said Remus, glancing at the first row at the top of the parchment.

'Bad day?' repeated Sirius. 'Are we reading the same timetable, Remus? We've got double Potions are the end of the day with the Slytherins and their Head of House, Slughorn.' He let out a groan. 'And Defence Against the Dark Arts with them too! What are the teachers playing at? Are they trying to make us Gryffindors fail?'

'I can assure you, Mr Black, we are not,' said Professor McGonagall's voice behind him. Sirius and James span round in their seats to see their Head of House standing over them. Professor McGonagall looked piercingly through her square spectacles as them both. 'But I can also assure you, if you don't get back to the Tower to get your things for Transfiguration which is your first lesson and my subject, then you will be failing before you've even started.'

With that message, Professor McGonagall swept away back to the teachers' table at the top of the Hall.

'Core,' breathed James, 'she's a bit strict.'

'More than a bit,' said Remus.

'Strict?' said Sirius. The three boys got up and joined the queue of students leaving the Hall. 'Compared to my mother, Professor McGonagall's practically tame.'

Needless to say, Sirius did retract his words after sitting through McGonagall's first Transfiguration lesson of the year.

'Transfiguration,' began Professor McGonagall briskly, 'is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my classes will leave and not come back. You have been warned.'

James, Sirius and Remus looked at each other. They were sat at the back of the class, their textbooks open on their desks and wands beside them. There were faint grins on James and Sirius's faces though; they liked a challenge. At the front of the class, Lily and Alice were also sharing a glance. At Professor McGonagall's warning, they both knew who were most likely to mess around in lessons. Lily glanced over her shoulder at the boys at the back and saw them grinning to one another. She'd be surprised if they passed their first year exams, let alone get all the way to their final years at Hogwarts if they planned on being the troublemakers they seemed on the train. Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to face the front as Professor McGonagall prepared the day's demonstration.

'In today's class, we shall be turning matches into needles,' she continued promptly. She flicked her wand to a drawer, which opened and out floated a small box of matches. 'As this is your first class, it would be unwise of me to expect any of you to manage anything spectacular. However, that does not mean I don't expect you not to try. That includes you, Mr Black, and don't think I can't see you rolling your eyes.'

Her eyes fell upon the back row where Sirius and James were sat. Sirius jumped back in his seat slightly; it wouldn't be until his third year that Sirius stopped doing this. James and Remus snickered. Professor McGonagall flicked her wand a second time. The box of matches opened itself and out came the matches, one landing in front of each student.

'Your task today is to Transfigure these matches into needles. I will judge them at the end of the lesson where the best will receive points for their House. Any half-Transfigured or less will receive extra practice for homework.'

'Easy,' said Sirius confidently, picking up his wand and pointing it at his match.

Contrary to Sirius's statement, Transfiguring a match into a needle was not as easy as he first thought it would be. By the end of class, very few had managed to make a visible change to their matches and most only had managed to turn the end into a point of varying sharpness. Lily and Alice had managed to change their matches enough to make them look like needles, however, when Professor McGonagall tested them they both set alight. Much to Lily's chagrin, it was James who managed to get the furthest, with Remus just behind him. Remus only lost a few marks because his point was still rounded like the match originally was. James's was fully silver and didn't set alight when it was struck. Sirius was only just behind them with his being fully silver but still catching when tested.

'As if those two aren't cocky enough,' Lily huffed as she and Alice left the class together. 'They don't need anything to boost their egos any further.'

They had Defence Against the Dark Arts next which Lily was pleased to see was going to be with the Slytherins. She'd finally get to see Severus and perhaps finally talk to him about the events of the Sorting. There had to be a way for them to still meet up despite being in different Houses and not having classes together all the time. In front of her James and Sirius were walking along bold as brass after their successful Transfiguration class, Remus quietly walking along beside them.

'Lily, lighten up,' said Alice. 'Those two can't be as bad as you make out. I mean, we've got to share a Tower with them for the next seven years. You've only just met them. You shouldn't judge a spell by its sparks.'

Lily gave Alice an irritated look. Reluctantly she did have to agree.

'I know I shouldn't,' she muttered. 'But after how they treated Severus on the train, I don't like people picking on others for no reason, especially my friends. Maybe it's a good thing Severus is in Slytherin, then Potter and Black will just leave him alone.'

Unfortunately for Lily, what happened outside Defence Against the Dark Arts was merely the start of what was to be a five-year hatred and an inner battle for Lily between her beliefs and her loyalty to her friends.

'Piece of cake that was,' said James, walking beside Sirius and Remus twirling his wand in his fingers. 'But with a wand like mine, I'm not surprised. Ollivander said it'd be good for transfiguring things.'

'Just because it's good at one thing doesn't mean it will be good at another,' said Remus. 'A wand doesn't make a wizard excel at all strands of magic.'

James and Sirius shared a smile that Remus remained unaware of. Despite having known each other for only one day, they both knew they had made some firm friends and each already seemed to have a role within their small group. James by default seemed to be the leader, the one with the ideas and ways to execute them; Sirius was the second in command, helping to develop James's ideas into fully fledged plans; while Remus was the level-headed one, and the person who would keep James and Sirius's brooms close to earth.

'While James's wand might be good at Transfiguration it might be awful at Charms,' Remus reasoned. 'Then there's the wizard's own natural –'

'Remus,' interrupted Sirius. Remus looked at him. 'Shut up.'

Though slightly taken aback, Remus found himself not turning a shade of pink at being told to shut up by Sirius. It was like he knew Sirius didn't really mean it, like he was just joking. The smile on his face as he said it probably was a clue to that too.

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, who they had just had Transfiguration with, walked across the Transfiguration Courtyard and back inside the castle. The group walked up the corridor towards the Charms Staircase leading to the second floor. At the top they divided, the Gryffindors heading to the left and the Ravenclaws to the right. The Ravenclaws were due to have Charms with the Hufflepuffs, which was to be taught by their Head of House, Professor Flitwick. The Gryffindors continued up a small spiral staircase, along a short corridor on the third floor, then up a second spiral staircase that took them into the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower. The Tower was wide with a long staircase winding its way up the wall to the classroom at the top. At the bottom there was a corridor leading out to the Suspension Bridge and back to the main castle, a statue of an old hag opposite its entrance. At the top of the Tower already, having come from Herbology, were their classmates for the lesson, a group of sullen-looking children: the Slytherins.

'Look who's coming,' sneered one of them, a broad-shouldered boy called Julian Wilkes. He glanced through the lank strands of his brown hair at the group of Gryffindors climbing the final stairs. 'The _Gryffindors_.'

A series of groans and hisses snaked through the group. None of the Slytherins were happy about the arrangement. They all stood slouched against the wall of the Tower with the same disgusted looks on their faces at having to share Defence Against the Dark Arts, a class Slytherins were known to excel in for obvious reasons, with the Gryffindors.

'Why do we even have to share lessons with them?' muttered another boy, Evan Rosier. 'They all think their so talented just because they're in Gryffindor when most don't know how to point a wand because of their dirty blood.'

The other Slytherins murmured their agreement, apart from one. Severus had become slightly uncomfortable with the conversation, especially when it turned to the talk of "dirty blood". He glanced at the group of Gryffindors to see Lily's flame-red hair in amongst them; she was a Muggleborn, the worst of the worst he'd discovered in some of his housemates opinions, while he himself was a half-blood. While a part of him just wanted to say hi to her, another part not wanting to disappoint his housemates held him back, and he hid amongst the group. Behind Lily, Severus saw the two boys who had mocked him on the train talking boastfully to each other, James Potter and Sirius Black. A glare instantly darkened his pale features.

When the Gryffindors reached the top of the stairs, a silence fell amongst the students. The Slytherin girls took one look at the Gryffindor girls before turning away with their noses in the air, continuing their own conversation in low whispers as they furtively glanced back at them. The Slytherin boys remained silent as they glared at them. While Remus felt it best to remain silent, however, James and Sirius had other ideas.

'What's got your wand in a knot, Snivellus?' James asked Severus loudly so everyone could hear. 'Forgotten your shampoo before you left home?'

Sirius laughed. Severus's glare deepened.

'Better than your Niffler nest,' he sneered. 'Wouldn't be surprised if you had fleas living in it.'

James and Severus glared at each other on opposite sides of the platform outside the classroom door. While the girls of both Houses watched on, the Slytherin boys had stood straight at James's insult and taken up position around Severus. Their hands were all near the pockets of their robes where each had their wand. Seeing this reaction, Sirius stepped up beside James, his hand also ready for his wand. Remus, watching this exchange, remained behind his friends unsure of what to do. He didn't like where this was going.

'Least my hair's clean,' said James. 'I bet you haven't washed your hair for years. It's probably infested with something slimy. There's enough grease in it.'

'That's rich coming from someone with a hedge for a haircut,' retorted Severus. 'Does your mummy actually tell you to brush it or does your mummy do it for you?'

Instantly wands were drawn on both sides. James and Sirius's hands went straight for their robes and took out their wands a fraction quicker than the Slytherins, however, it was five against two. The other students watched on intently.

'I suggest you take that back,' said Sirius slowly, pointing his wand directly at Severus.

'Or what?' asked Wilkes. 'It's two against five or can't you count?'

'Make that three,' said Remus. Not knowing what spurred him to do it, Remus stepped next to James and took out his wand as well. Although against the idea of fighting on their first day, Remus wasn't going to let his friends get into trouble. 'No one insults my friends.'

James, Sirius and Remus glanced at each other and shared a smile, before turning back to face the Slytherins. They remained in a silent stand-off for the next minute or so when a sudden commotion behind them drew their attention away from each other. Peter Pettigrew, a small squat boy with mousy brown hair, who had taken a detour to find a bathroom, had tripped over his shoelaces on the last step and fallen flat on his face. The Slytherins burst into laughter. Remus instantly went to help him up while James and Sirius glared back at the laughing Slytherins.

'You see that?' guffawed Keane Mulciber. 'Even _real_ wizards know how to tie their shoes! Lucky he's got a fat arse to land on!'

Peter flushed a bright shade of pink. Remus frowned and helped him back to his feet. Before James and Sirius could retort in Peter's defence, the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom opened and Professor Merrythought beckoned them inside. The guffawing Slytherins all walked inside followed by the Gryffindors who hadn't been involved in the confrontation. James and Sirius gave them one last look of loathing before going to check if Peter was all right. When their backs were turned Severus sent them a glare and pocketed his wand to go into class.

'You shouldn't have done that,' said a quiet voice behind him.

Severus looked round in time to see Lily walk past him. Her green eyes caught his and Severus saw the disappointment in them. She then turned away and took a seat next to Alice in the second row of desks. Severus let out a huff of injustice. Potter had started that fight, not him, and Lily was saying "he shouldn't have done that"? Annoyed, Severus threw himself into a seat at the back of the class next to Rosier, his eyes glaring at the back of Potter's head when he finally took his seat.

'Are you all right?'

James, Sirius and Remus were helping Peter gather his things while the rest of their class went inside the classroom. Peter's face was still flushed with embarrassment but he nodded vigorously. He bent down and tied up his undone shoelace, the reason for his attention-drawing accident. Once upright again, Sirius handed him his satchel.

'Peter, right?' said James. Again, Peter nodded. 'Don't listen to those Slytherins,' James continued. 'They're just a bunch of spell-heads.'

'Yeah,' agreed Sirius. 'Just ignore them.'

'O-ok,' squeaked Peter.

'Come on,' said Remus quickly, noticing the rest of the class had gone in. 'We better hurry up or Professor Merrythought will deduct points for us being late.'

Unlike Transfiguration, their first Defence Against the Dark Arts was mainly theory-based as Professor Merrythought introduced them to the subject and what they would be studying throughout the year. When class had finished, Severus and the other Slytherins were first out of the class, striding down the Tower stairs and back into the main castle for their next lesson. As she packed up her things, Lily watched as Severus stormed off out of class. She sighed; things weren't going to be easy at all for them. She left the class with the rest of the Gryffindors.

This was to be the first of many confrontations between James Potter and Severus Snape over their seven years at Hogwarts. It was only thanks to Professor Merrythought's timely interruption to start the lesson that stopped it from escalating from wands being drawn to spells being cast. However, there weren't always going to be teachers around to stop them and so these encounters got steadily worse and worse over the years. A feud which would eventually lead to friendships being damaged beyond repair.

It wasn't until later in the day that the Slytherins and Gryffindors came across each other again, as their final class was Potions together with the Slytherins' Head of House, Professor Slughorn. It was taught down in the dungeons where the Potions classroom was located nearby to the Slytherin common room. The lower levels of the castle had a much colder feel the Gryffindors noted as they descended the Changing Staircase to the dungeons. None were looking forward to this, not even Lily despite the prospect of seeing Severus again.

At first glance, Professor Slughorn seemed to be a very cheerful and jolly man, not what you would normally associate with a typical Slytherin student. He was a short and very large middle-aged wizard, his huge belly covered in smart emerald velvet robes. His cheeks were tinged with a hint of red as he warmly greeted the students and waved them into the classroom, his moustache curling around his smile to join up with his hair which was starting to thin on top, both showing signs of age as they were flecked with gray in his brown strands. With a flick of his wand the door to the Potions classrooms shut behind the last student. Professor Slughorn clapped his hands enthusiastically as he waddled to the front of the class. James and Sirius snickered slightly; his resemblance to a walrus was almost uncanny.

The Potions classroom was a small, dark and dank room. The walls were lined with shelves of ingredients, spare cauldrons, and glass phials of various shapes and sizes containing all sorts of concoctions. There was an odd green glow about the room as the natural light from the outside was mostly obscured with only a few tall thin windows letting it in. In contrast to their previous class together, it was the Slytherins who filled up the front few desks, with Severus directly in front of Professor Slughorn's desk, and the Gryffindors taking up the ones at the back. James, Sirius and Remus took one in the back row on the left-hand side and took out their textbooks. A small cauldron was set up on each desk for the lesson's potion. At the front, Severus already had all his equipment laid out neatly on his desk. He'd been looking forwards to Potions classes that even bullies like Potter and Black couldn't ruin it for him. He'd liked Potions since his mother bought him his first Potion set. He sat ready and waiting for Professor Slughorn to start. James and Sirius noticed this.

'Check out Snivellus,' whispered Sirius. "Looks like he's going to wet himself in anticipation.'

'Yeah,' agreed James. 'You can almost see the grease marks dripping down his forehead.'

James and Sirius sniggered silently to each other as Professor Slughorn began the lesson. In front of them, Lily looked over her shoulder at the two boys to see them laughing about something. They hadn't been in the lesson five minutes and they were already misbehaving. They were such a pair of immature little boys. Beside them, Remus notice Lily's gaze and caught her eye. Lily frowned, her green eyes flicking quickly to the two beside him. Remus shrugged, an apologetic look on his face. Huffing in frustration, Lily turned back to listen to Professor Slughorn's instructions.

'Now,' boomed Professor Slughorn, in a deep voice. 'Welcome first years to the excellent and challenging art of Potion making.' He smiled broadly, looking at his students; the buttons of his velvet waistcoat seemed to strain the more he smiled. 'Now some of you might have a natural talent for potions already; others may not. All you need to brew a successful potion is patience and precision. In our first few lessons, we'll be getting to grips with simple Potion skills and the accuracy that is needed in brewing them.

'Today, we'll be starting with a Forgetfulness Potion. It's simple enough to brew and its ingredients are easy to remember, despite its name. The instructions –' Professor Slughorn flicked his wand at a piece of chalk; it began writing on the board behind him, '– are on the board and the ingredients are in the supply cupboard in the corner. You have the entire lesson to make it. You'll be working in pairs so it'll be a joint effort. I'll be awarding house points for any successful potions. If you need any help, I'll be floating around to check on your work so just put your hand up and I'll check on your potion.'

'"Floating"?' repeated James to Sirius in a whisper. 'More like "waddling".'

The boys started snickering again as they turned to the correct page in their textbooks. Lily, who had been walking over to the storage cupboard for ingredients, heard James's comment. She sighed and shook her head, silently wondering to herself if those boys would ever grow up.

The lesson passed by in a mixture of clouds of various coloured smokes. James and Sirius worked together diligently (for their standards) creating their Forgetfulness Potion. Beside them, Remus, having taken pity on Peter, had switched partners with him so Frank was now with Dorcas Meadowes, who had been getting more and more frustrated at Peter's clumsiness. At the front of the classroom, Severus was eagerly stirring his mixture, his eyes gleaming in excitement as it changed from green to a clear turquoise solution.

Professor Slughorn wandered around to each table checking on everyone's potions, nodding enthusiastically at some while frowning at others. When he reached Lily and Alice's desk, his eyes beamed when he looked down at their creation. It was gently simmering and a brilliant clear blue colour as stated in the instructions on the board.

'Miss Evans, I am very impressed,' he said, giving it a stir. 'Your parents must have had great Potion making skills for you to have such natural instinct in potion brewing so quickly.'

'Oh, my parents aren't wizards,' replied Lily shyly. 'I'm Muggle-born, Professor. This is the first potion I've ever seen, let alone made. Besides, Alice did most of the work.'

'Did she?' said Professor Slughorn. 'Well then, a well done to you too, Miss Prewett. As for you, Miss Evans, modesty is a becoming trait in such a young and promising witch,' he said jovially. 'I expect to see promising things from you in future classes.

'Class,' he then said loudly, 'you have ten minutes to finish your potions. If properly brewed, they should be in their final stages now and all that remains is a gentle simmering until the liquid is as clear as Miss Evans's and Miss Prewett's. I want to see the finished potion bottled and on my desk before you leave.'

Professor Slughorn shuffled off to the front of the class and began inspecting the Slytherin potions. Lily and Alice beamed at each other at his words then got up to get a couple of phials to pour their potion into. When he checked Severus, again he was impressed by the translucent colour of his potion and began questioning him about his skills the same way he did Lily. At the back of the class, James and Sirius were taking a break and allowing their potion to simmer. Both were watching Severus and Professor Slughorn talking.

'My mother has the potion skills,' Severus was saying. 'She didn't make many but whenever she did, I always watched. I liked the different patterns the smoke would make depending on what sort of potion was being brewed.'

'Indeed,' muttered Professor Slughorn. 'Well I'm glad to see you're such an enthusiast, Severus, and such a good potion maker. I'd say both you and Miss Evans have a very natural ability in this branch of magic.'

Severus beamed. Before he could stop himself he turned round to catch Lily's eye. Lily, who had been listening to their conversation, smiled at him. Severus smiled broadly back.

'You should be almost done,' called Professor Slughorn. He stood straight and went to sit behind his desk. 'Don't forget the all important final anti-clockwise stirs before you bottle it.'

'Hey, Sirius,' whispered James. Sirius looked at him. 'Watch this.'

Carefully James poured some of his and Sirius's potion into a phial to take up to the front. With their potion bottled, James put his hand in his pocket and took something out of it. He showed it to Sirius. Sirius instantly recognised it to be one of Zonko's Wicked Wizards' Big Bangers. A grin spread across his face. He nodded to James. James got up, concealing the Banger in the sleeve of his robe, and took their potion to Professor Slughorn's desk. He passed by Severus's desk, who was busy giving his potion the last few stirs. Sirius waited and watched eagerly. By now, Remus was also watching what was going on; he had a feeling James was plotting something. On his way back, Severus had ducked down under his desk for something in his bag and the other Slytherins were all concentrating on their potions. None of the Gryffindors, except for Sirius and Remus (who was trying his best not to watch but couldn't tear his eyes away), had noticed what James was doing. With a tap of his wand, James activated the Banger and dropped it into Severus's cauldron. He quickly then took his seat next to Sirius.

Severus retrieved the phial from his bag and sat up. He was about to scoop out a sample of his potion when he saw it was bubbling unusually fast . He checked the fire beneath the cauldron but it was still at a simmering level. Severus couldn't think what was making it bubble so fiercely. He'd followed the instructions to the word. Why had his potion suddenly gone wrong?

At the back, James began a countdown, 'Three, two, one – '

Severus just managed to cover his face as his Forgetfulness Potion exploded. He and his partner, Rosier, got covered in the blue liquid as it flew from the cauldron. The surrounding Slytherins all dived for cover while the girls screamed in surprise. Professor Slughorn jumped in shock, almost falling off his chair. When they emerged again from behind their arms, Severus saw all that was left of his near perfect potion was a small amount of burnt blue liquid at the bottom of the cauldron and a strange blackened object.

'Good grief, Severus,' blustered Professor Slughorn. 'You must never over-stir your potion. They are delicate things!'

'I didn't, Professor,' said Severus. 'Someone's tampered with it.'

James and Sirius were in fits of laughter. They had their hands over their mouths in a vain attempt to conceal it and not look guilty. Severus span round in his seat and saw this. He glared at them.

'Come on, Severus,' boomed Professor Slughorn. 'Don't just sit there. Start cleaning it up and get whatever you can into a phial for me to mark. You and Julian can still get a mark for whatever is left. I'll take into account you work through the class as well. Merlin's bead, indeed,' Professor Slughorn had just noticed the vague looks on some of the other Slytherins's faces, 'All right, any of you who swallowed some of the potion when it sprayed, wait after class for the antidote. The rest of you, pack up your equipment. Class dismissed.'

Those who hadn't been hit by the wave of potion gave their samples in and left the class while the Slytherins who had accidentally swallowed some sat in their seats staring dumbly at their potions while Professor Slughorn searched his cupboards in his office for an antidote. James and Sirius were still laughing as they packed up their things and left, very pleased with how the prank had gone. Remus left with them, silently thinking of the possible repercussions of their actions. As they left, Severus gave them a deep looking of loathing behind their backs as he wiped up the remainder of his potion. He was going to get even with them.

'Severus?' a voice said behind him. Severus looked round. 'Are you all right?'

Severus blushed as Lily bent down and began wiping the bench he'd been sitting on, a red tinge appearing in his pale cheeks. His eyes instantly went back to the floor.

'Yeah,' he mumbled. 'I didn't get hit that badly, managed to cover my face. Julian got some in his mouth though.' Severus nodded his head to Julian Wilkes. He was sitting on the bench staring into the distance. 'He'll be fine once Professor Slughorn gives him the antidote.'

'That was a nasty trick Potter played on you,' said Lily kindly. She picked up Severus's potion book and wiped it down.

'You saw it was him?' asked Severus.

'No, I didn't,' said Lily, frustrated, 'but judging by the way him and Black were laughing at the back when it happened, they are the most likely suspects. Besides, I don't somehow think Potter would be careless enough to leave evidence lying around to point towards him.'

Lily handed Severus his book just as Keane Mulciber and Wilson Avery returned from receiving some antidote from Professor Slughorn.

'Get lost, Evans,' sneered Mulciber. Lily and Severus stood up. Lily flushed. 'Severus doesn't need your help, he can clear it up on his own, right Severus?'

Lily looked at Severus. Severus looked between her and the two other boys. Once again he was torn between his friend and his housemates.

'Yeah,' he said finally. Severus looked down at the remaining mess to avoid Lily's eyes. She had the most piercing eyes that portrayed any emotion she had. 'Yeah, I don't need your help, Li—' Severus stopped himself, 'Evans.'

'Oh.' Lily stared at Severus, surprised by his response. That didn't seem like him at all. He'd never called her by her surname before. 'OK. I'll … I'll see you later, Severus.'

Severus didn't return the comment, keeping his eyes focused on the floor as he wiped it so long as Mulciber and Avery were watching them. With one last look at the Slytherins, Lily turned on her heel and walked away. She could feel Mulciber and Avery's stare on her as she left the dungeon. Lily hurried to catch up with Alice and get away from their stares. Life at Hogwarts wasn't going to be as easy as Severus had always made out when they were at home and being in rival Houses already seemed to be taking a strain on their friendship after only the first day of school.

'Did you see his face!' laughed James. 'It was absolutely priceless!'

It had been a good few hours since their Potion class had finished but the topic of tampering with Severus's potion was still fresh in James and Sirius's heads as they headed down the Changing Staircase for dinner with Remus and Peter, who was following along more as a precaution if they ran into anymore Slytherins rather than because he'd been invited. James and Sirius didn't mind, as long as they could keep laughing at Snape. They entered the Great Hall, still chucking at the memory of the event.

'I know,' said Sirius. 'Did you see his face? He didn't know what hit him! Probably because he swallowed some and forgotten!'

James and Sirius roared with laughter.

Across the Entrance Hall coming down the Marble Staircase, Severus was making his way to dinner having just spent the last hour remaking his Forgetfulness Potion to hand in to Professor Slughorn. He wasn't going to let that abysmal sample be marked and so had taken it upon himself to remake it and get the mark he deserved. He had just returned from Professor Slughorn's office and was on the way to the Great Hall for dinner when he heard the unmistakable sound of very familiar laughter ahead of him. Entering the Great Hall ahead of him were James Potter and Sirius Black and by the sound of it, they were laughing about what had happened in their Potions class. Anger flared in Severus's chest. Without thinking, Severus ran down the Marble Staircase and strode across the Entrance Hall. Getting him from behind, Severus shoved James into the door of the Great Hall, much to his surprise. Sirius, Remus and Peter span round in time to see Severus push James. In a second James recovered and had his wand drawn but Severus was ready, having drawn his wand seconds after he'd pushed James into the door. Sirius and Remus stood beside him, their wands also drawn.

'You think you're so clever, don't you, Potter?' spat Severus.

Around them, students at the end of the House tables were noticing their confrontation. At the Gryffindor table, a whisper that two first years were having it off at the Great Hall doors reached Lily and Alice. Suspicious, Lily got up to see what was going on, sneaking through the older students who had got out their seats to get a better view. Making her way through, Lily peered round a fifth year girl to see Severus standing with his wand out, breathless for some reason as he shouted at James Potter. Behind him stood Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Lily saw. All three had their wands drawn.

'Think you're so funny destroying someone else's hard work because you knew they'd done better than you!'

'As if,' retorted James. He pulled his robes back on to his shoulder. 'Why would I need to sabotage your potion to get a better mark? You did that on your own. Boiled over, didn't it?'

'My potion didn't boil over and you know it,' shouted Severus. 'You threw some sort of firework into it making it explode!'

'Where's your proof?' asked Sirius. 'You've got no way of proving James did anything to your potion.'

'I don't need proof! He did it! I know he did!'

'Oh, go wash your mouth out, Snivellus,' said James. '_Scourgify!_'

With a jab of his wand, James lunged forwards and sent the charm at Severus. Instantly a small froth of bubbles formed at Severus's mouth. James and Sirius began laughing again along with some of the students surrounding them as Severus began to spit incoherent words at them. They were laughing so hard that they didn't notice Severus point his wand at James and send a jinx his way. It hit James on the shoulder, ripping his robes. James winced. A gasp went round those gathered. James rubbed his shoulder, feeling the sting of the jinx on it, and glared at Snape. Severus glared back, wiping the last of the bubbles from his mouth.

'Enough!' snapped Professor McGonagall.

The group of students instantly parted as Professor McGonagall marched her way up the Hall to see what all the commotion was. Professor Flitwick and Professor Slughorn were behind her.

'What on earth is going on?' she snapped, peering between the two first years, Severus covered in soap residue and James sporting a ripped robe. The surrounding students were being ushered away by Professor Slughorn and Professor Flitwick. Some were still craning to get a glimpse of what was going on as Professor McGonagall reprimanded James and Severus. 'I am absolutely disgusted. Never have two first years been caught fighting barely a day into the school year. Ten points from both Gryffindor –' James let out a shout of objection '– _and_ Slytherin.'

'But Professor!' objected Severus. 'He sabotaged my potion!'

'That is no excuse for causing a fight, Mr Snape,' snapped Professor McGonagall. 'And as for you, Mr Potter,' halting any more of his protests, 'you should know better than to retaliate to accusations. I do not care if it is true or not, I expect better of someone in my House. The House points I have taken stand.'

'Professor –!' James started.

'That is final! Now go back to your dormitories. You will have your dinner in your common rooms.'

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand. The soap bubbles vanished from around Severus's mouth. The rip in the shoulder of James's robe fixed itself. With one last glare, Severus wiped his mouth and stalked away. Beside him, Sirius was fuming over Professor McGonagall's decision at taking House points from Gryffindor when Snape had started the fight while Remus was keeping silent, knowing that what she had done was just. James, however, was watching Snape's retreating form. It appeared he had found the perfect target for all his pranks not to mention a lifelong enemy in Severus Snape.

* * *

**AN: this chapter has now been updated**


	6. New Games, Old Pains

Chapter 6

New Games, Old Pains

The rest of the week passed without any more confrontations between James, Sirius and Severus, mainly because James and Sirius were still talking about the first one and because Lily had gone to Professor McGonagall about it. The two boys both received detention for their prank. The day after they had pulled the prank, Professor McGonagall had called the two boys to her office before breakfast. She gave them a stern word and informed them that their detention would be on Saturday night. They were to come to her classroom at eight o'clock and wait for her instructions. Having been given their detentions, a disgruntled James and Sirius trudged down to the Great Hall.

'Can't be that bad,' muttered James. 'It's not like they're going to send us in the Forbidden Forest or anything.'

They spotted Remus sitting near the end of the Gryffindor table. There was only one seat but a moment later a fifth year student got up from another. James and Sirius went and joined him.

'Still,' said Sirius, pouring himself some pumpkin juice then taking a swig, 'someone must have snitched on us. Slughorn had no idea who it was who'd put the firework in Snape's cauldron.'

'Sirius, drop it,' muttered James. 'We're not going to find out who told on us so why dwell on it?'

'James is right,' said Remus. He took a bite of his toast. 'Anyone in that dungeon could have told on you who'd seen you do it. Unless the person walks up to you and says they told on you then you're not likely to find out.'

'Hmm,' grunted Sirius. They were right, he knew it. It didn't stop him being annoyed though. Sirius hated it when people snitched. His brother was a prime example. Whenever Sirius had done something wrong, Regulus almost always told their parents. It infuriated him beyond belief. Even at eleven, loyalty was important to Sirius; it was what told you who your real friends were.

With breakfast finished, the three friends returned to the Tower for their books then proceeded to the third floor for their Charms lesson with Professor Flitwick.

The day had its ups and downs. At one moment James, Sirius and Remus were laughing along with the rest of their class as Professor Flitwick toppled off the pile of books he stood on in order to see everyone gathered in his classroom; at another, they were doodling idly on their parchment as the resident ghost teacher, Professor Binns, droned on about the formation of the Ministry for Magic and _slow_ development of its departments. Even the keener students in Gryffindor found it hard to fight the boredom driven from his monotonous tone. The first years were heartily relieved when class ended. Herbology was marginally better but all were glad when they could escape to lunch.

'Were you able to listen to anything he said?' Lily asked Alice. The two walked side by side down to the Great Hall. 'I always thought my teacher in primary school was boring. Professor Binns makes him seem the most fascinating man I've ever met after that lesson.'

'My Mum did warn me about Professor Binns,' said Alice, laughing. 'She always enchanted her quill to make the notes for her after the first three years of listening to him. She thought it'd be the only way to pass her OWL.'

Lily looked at Alice curiously. They took a couple of seats in the middle of the Gryffindor table and began helping themselves to food.

'What's an OWL?' asked Lily.

'Those are the exams you take in fifth year,' explained Alice. 'You then take your NEWTs in seventh year. Those are your final exams and help determine what job you get after Hogwarts.'

'Do I dare ask what they stand for?' said Lily cautiously. After only two days, Lily already knew it was better to ask questions if she didn't understand a wizard term. It was certainly a lot more confusing than in the Muggle world.

'OWLs are Ordinary Wizard Levels,' said Alice. She helped herself to some mashed potato and continued, 'While the NEWTs are Nastily Exhausting Wizard Tests. They test you on everything you've learnt here.' Lily's eyes widened.

'Even in History of Magic?'

'Chill, Lils,' laughed Alice. Lily's face was priceless. 'You can drop subjects after OWLs so you don't have to take it in History of Magic if you don't want to. And anyway, we're only first years,' shrugged Alice. 'We've got ages before we have to worry about all that!'

A smile came to Lily's face and they changed the subject. Further down the table, James, Sirius and Remus were all tucking into their own food when James overheard some of the older students talking about Quidditch. His ears instantly perked up and he looked over at them.

'So when are the trials going to be, Ashleigh?' asked the one on James's side of the table.

A girl with sandy blonde hair took a sip of her drink, then replied to the boy's question.

'Hopefully this weekend,' she said. 'I want to get them done as soon as possible to start training for the new season. We need to train both a new Chaser and Seeker. I'm going to put a notice up in the common room but can you let the other team members know there's going to be a meeting tomorrow night?'

'Sure.'

'Guys, did you hear that?' beamed James. Remus and Sirius shook their heads. 'Quidditch! They're holding trials this weekend!'

'So?' asked Remus. He wasn't really one for sport. He always got a good enough run around from chasing after Tala.

'So?' repeated James, affronted. 'It's Quidditch! The best sport ever!'

'And by your enthusiasm, I'd say you loved it,' said Remus.

'Er, yeah!'

'So you going to try out?' asked Sirius. He swallowed the spoonful of treacle sponge and went for another.

'Yeah, of course,' said James.

'You know not many first years make the teams, certainly not in any other position than Seeker and that's because we're small.'

'Well, there's no harm in trying.' James was still grinning. He loved Quidditch, mainly because of his dad. He always took James to the games he was reviewing. 'You should try out too, Sirius. And you, Remus.'

'Might do,' shrugged Sirius. 'But probably not this year. If I was going to play Quidditch I'd rather be Chaser or something and not get lumbered with Seeker.'

'What about you, Remus?'

Remus hesitated. On Saturday night was the full moon. He'd already started feeling queasy when he got up this morning. By Saturday Remus didn't know if he'd even be able to stand.

'I'll pass,' he muttered.

'You'll come and watch though?'

'Er, if I can,' replied Remus.

That night James, Sirius and Remus sat down in the common room with the other first years doing their homework. It was only the second day and it felt like they'd been here a month. They sat in the corner in some comfy chairs around a table, their various books spread out. At ten to eight, as instructed, James and Sirius packed up their books and left their bags in their dormitories. Saying a "See you later" to Remus, the two of them headed to the portrait hole. On their way out they passed Lily Evans, who'd come back from studying in the library.

'Off to your detention, Potter?' she asked. James looked at her curiously.

'How did you know?' he said slowly.

'You didn't think you were going to get away with what you did to Severus, did you?' said Lily. 'That was a really mean thing to do, putting a firework in his cauldron. He'd worked really hard on that potion.'

'You snitched on us?' asked Sirius, glaring at her.

'Yes, I told Professor McGonagall,' said Lily plainly.

'Oh cheers, Evans. What happened to not dobbing in your housemates?'

'If they're my friends and not a pair of toerags …'

James and Sirius glared at Lily before stalking passed her. For the rest of the journey they muttered angrily to one another about her snitching on them. Someone from their own House! They stopped abruptly though when Professor McGonagall opened her office door having heard them. She stepped out of her office and locked it, then turning to the two boys and telling them to follow her. She led them back up fourth floor and to the Trophy Room. James and Sirius looked at each other.

'Your punishment,' said Professor McGonagall briskly, 'is to clean the trophies in the Trophy Room, _without_ magic.'

'What?' James burst. 'Without magic? That'll take us hours!'

'There's like a hundred trophies in here!' added Sirius.

'Well then you better get started.' Professor McGonagall conjured two buckets of water and sponges. 'And do be aware, Peeves likes to bounce around the room from time to time. I'll be back in an hour's time.'

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and walked off. James and Sirius looked at each other again. The pair of them groaned. Taking up a sponge each, they dunked it in the soapy warm water and set about cleaning the trophies, Sirius at one end, James at the other.

Over the next hour James and Sirius felt like they'd made barely any progress. Each had cleaned about thirty trophies but there were still loads to go. There were just too many! They'd even started reading them out of sheer boredom. Best Gobstones player, 1963; House Cup awarded to Ravenclaw, 1965; Quidditch Cup to Hufflepuff, 1966-1969. James looked at it dully before wiping its already polished surface.

'That'll change once I'm in the team,' he muttered. A grin appeared on his face.

'Hey, James!' called Sirius. James glanced over at him. 'Come look at this!'

James dropped his sponge in the bucket he was using. He walked over to where Sirius was. Sirius pointed at a large plaque sitting in between a cup for Wizard Chess and one for a record number of NEWTs taken by one student. It read "Awarded to Tom Riddle for Special Services to the School". James's eyes narrowed in thought as he read it.

'Tom Riddle …' he mused. 'Where have I heard that name before?'

'I know,' agreed Sirius. 'It sounds familiar, doesn't it?'

James stared at the trophy. He knew he knew that name. But where had he heard it? Had he read it somewhere? No, that wasn't it. Hold on, his dad had mentioned it. If only James could remember when.

'Hang on,' said Sirius, drawing James from his thoughts, 'I know where I've heard that name. My dad knows him, went to school with him or something. From what I've heard Riddle likes the Dark Arts quite a bit. He came round once to borrow some books off him.'

'Hmm,' James mused. Any wizard who liked the Dark Arts was a bad wizard in his opinion. He then looked at his watch. 'We'd better get back to cleaning. McGonagall's going to be back soon.'

After two hours Professor McGonagall finally released James and Sirius, and they trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower. Their hands were cold and wrinkled and their backs sore from having to reach up to clean the trophies on the top shelves. They got to the common room to find that the younger students had all gone to bed. Only the fourth years and above were still there, including the girl James had seen earlier who'd been talking about the Quidditch tryouts. He told Sirius he'd meet him up in the dormitory then walked over to her.

'Hey, are you this year's Quidditch Captain?' asked James boldly. Ashleigh Dean looked up from her work at the small first year. She smiled.

'Yeah, and you are?'

'James Potter.'

'Can I help you, James?'

'Yeah, when are Quidditch tryouts?' he asked.

'Quidditch tryouts?' said Ashleigh. 'Aren't you a little young? First years don't normally make the team. They don't have the strength for Beater or the flying skill to be Chaser or Seeker. Some haven't even been on a broom before.'

'I've flown loads of times,' said James. 'My dad taught me. He's a Quidditch reviewer and used to be on the school team when he was here.'

Ashleigh looked at James carefully.

'You say your name's Potter?' James nodded. 'I thought it sounded familiar. Your dad writes for _Quality Quidditch_, doesn't he?'

'Yeah.'

'And he taught you to fly?'

'Yup.'

Ashleigh looked at her friend, Kevin, a fellow fifth year Gryffindor and Beater on the Quidditch team. He glanced at James as well. He gave Ashleigh a nod.

'All right, James, we'll give you a shot,' said Ashleigh. 'Be down at the Quidditch pity, Saturday night at half seven after the Ravenclaws. Tryouts will last fifteen minutes to test your skills. Got it?'

'I'll see you there,' said James.

Ashleigh laughed then turned back to her friend. James grinned and sprinted off upstairs to tell Sirius the good news. When he got there though, he found Sirius slumped in his bed fast asleep. Seeing him made James yawn. He hadn't realised how tired he was from the detention. So following Sirius's example, James got out of his school robes and into his pyjamas. As soon as his head hit the pillow he too was fast asleep.

'Remus, are you feeling all right?'

Remus struggled to raise his head. He'd been drifting off to sleep again during that morning's lessons and now that lunch had come, Remus was finding it harder to keep focus. The effects of the lycanthropy were coming out again. He felt nauseous, had a major headache, and had barely slept at all the previous two nights. There were dark circles forming under his eyes on his pale skin and he wasn't eating. James and Sirius looked worriedly at Remus across the table. He forced a smile on to his face.

'I'm fine, guys,' he said. He ran a hand over his face and brushed back his hair. 'Just a little tired, that's all.'

'You sure?' asked Sirius. 'You've been looking a bit off-colour for the last few days.'

'D'you want to go to the hospital wing or something?' asked James.

'No, no,' said Remus. He shook his head. 'But that reminds me. I got a letter from home saying my Mum's fallen ill. I've got to go home and see her this weekend.'

'But the Quidditch trials are on Saturday,' said James. 'You said you'd go.'

'I know but it's my Mum,' said Remus. 'They say it's serious so … I'm really sorry, James. I did want to come.' In truth Remus really did want to go see James's tryout. It meant a lot to him. 'But it's the only day I can go see her. I've got to be back on Sunday night for class on Monday and I live really far away.'

Contrary to what Remus thought, it was actually remarkably simple to lie to James and Sirius about the reason why he was ill. They bought his excuse and the three of them got on with the rest of their day. No more was said, however, James was still annoyed that Remus couldn't come to his tryout. _You and me both, James_, thought Remus.

On Saturday night, Remus left the common room with a rucksack of stuff to avoid questions from any of the other first years. James and Sirius said goodbye to him and wished his mother well. It just made the guilt Remus was already feeling swell. He wished James luck and left the common room before either of them could ask why his bag was empty. From her seat in the common room, Lily watched as Remus left. She'd noticed he'd been looking unwell quite recently. His symptoms though, they were strange. Certainly not like a Muggle illness.

At seven thirty, James and Sirius stood in the stands of the Quidditch arena, waiting for the trials to begin. James had his broom clasped in his hand, a Cleansweep 50. It had never failed him. His dad had brought it for him for his eleventh birthday. Slowly more and more people gathered, most of which were older than James. Only one other first year was trying out, Dorcas Meadowes. She gave James and smiled. Down on the pitch the Gryffindor team stood waiting for Ashleigh. When she arrived, Ashleigh called them all down to the pitch.

'Right, those trying out for Chaser, over here,' she called. 'Seeker, with Kevin. He will test your speed and endurance while I will test accuracy. The groups will then switch. You may think you're suited to a certain position but then perform better for another so everyone will be tested for everything. Any first years are to go with Kevin first so he can see your skill on a broomstick.'

James went with the group for Seekers along with Dorcas. Sirius remained in the stands. James looked up and gave him a thumbs-up before following the others. One by one Kevin called them up and raced them round a circuit to test their speed. When everyone had had a go, Kevin took out one of the Bludgers to help test their endurance. With a Bludger on your broomstick, endurance was necessary as these buggers could chase you for hours. Each student had to last at least five minutes without being hit.

For the first tests James performed quite well. His speed was very good according to Kevin and he'd managed to fly alongside him for most of the test. His endurance, however, needed some work. He only last four minutes before the Bludger hit him. James had gone into a dive to avoid it but had pulled out of it slightly too early. The Bludger had caught him on the leg. When the last person had gone against the Bludger, Ashleigh blew the whistle and the groups changed.

This was what James was looking forward to: Chaser skills. It was his favourite position as you were constantly in the action. Ducking and diving, swerving and soaring with the Quaffle under you arm, passing to your team mates then receiving it back, and the best part of all when it is you and the Keeper. Only one person left to block you from scoring. It was what James loved about the game the most. The thrill it gave him.

This time Ashleigh called everyone to their brooms and flew over to one of the goalposts where the Keeper, Timothy Thorns, was waiting. They had to throw the Quaffle at him and try and score. They had five goes each to try and score. James watched and waited near the back of the line. The overall performance of his group was all right but not many could get past Timothy. He was a very experienced Keeper. Dorcas had her go before James but only managed two shots. She'd excelled earlier though on her tests with Kevin. Three people later and James were up.

James held the Quaffle tightly under his right arm, his left hand gripping his broom. He floated opposite of the middle post; Timothy was floating between the three. From the stands he heard Sirius shout his encouragement. James grinned. He flew forwards, Timothy followed him. At the last moment, James swerved left and threw the Quaffle into the hoop. It went through; one down. Second try James this time went for the right. This time Timothy had expected it and his fingertips just knocked the ball from entering the hoop.

'Come on, James!' shouted Sirius. 'Show that Keeper!'

James took his third shot. He soared towards the left hoop but changed direction last minute. Timothy didn't have time to changed direction and the Quaffle flew through the hoop; two out of three so far. A minute later it was three out of four. James had only one go left. He flew towards the goals. Timothy followed his every movement. An idea then came to James. He put on a sudden burst of speed and flew round the back of the goals. Timothy looked behind him in confusion but it was too late. James flew over the top of the goals and threw the Quaffle into the right-hand hoop. Four out of five! He flew back to Ashleigh, grinning from ear to ear. He could hear Sirius cheering.

'A little unorthodox,' said Ashleigh, 'but inventive. You could be a very good Chaser if you worked on your strength.' James's smiled widened. 'All right everyone, that's it!' Ashleigh called. 'You can all go. You'll know who's made the team sometime next week.'

'Merlin, that was fun,' breathed James once he'd landed. Sirius had come down to the pitch to meet him. 'Did you see me? I was unstoppable!'

'I have to admit, you are good,' Sirius mused. 'At least ten times I thought you were going to fall off your broomstick but you proved me wrong.'

James laughed and gave Sirius a nudge.

'I still wish Remus could have been here,' he said next. 'It's a pity he missed it.'

-o-

Remus walked slowly towards the hospital wing. He dreaded every step, knowing soon the monster inside him was going to come out. When he passed a window Remus looked out of it. The moon was hiding just behind the clouds, waiting to spring on him. It sent shivers down his spine. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were waiting for him when he reached the hospital wing. They took his bag and placed it in a corner. Now it was just the walk down to the grounds. Another hour or so passed. Then it was time. Neither of the staff spoke and Remus followed slowly behind them. He felt like he could barely move, he was so tired and sick.

'It's only one night,' said Professor McGonagall kindly. Remus looked up to see she and Madam Pomfrey had stopped. 'You'll spend tomorrow in the hospital wing to recover. No one need know.'

Remus nodded. They continued on; down the marble staircase, out into the grounds, round the castle to where Remus saw a huge tree had been planted. Its branches whipped and thrashed in the cold night air. It looked like that if anything tried to get near it, they would be snapped like a twig in seconds. Remus swallowed. Professor McGonagall took out her wand and pointed it at a nearby branch; the branch began to float off the ground. She guided it towards the tree. It pressed against a knot in its trunk. The tree froze.

'Now, Mr Lupin,' Professor McGonagall started, her brisk tone back. 'You are to go straight down the passage to the house. You'll find a trap door at the end of the tunnel which will let you inside. Remember to shut it after you. There are spells on the house so no one can get in and you can't get out. Is that clear?'

'Yes, Professor,' mumbled Remus. The sooner this was over, the better.

'Use this to see your way. You're too young to know the Lumos Spell yet.'

Professor McGonagall handed Remus a lantern. He took it silently.

'Madam Pomfrey will come and get you in the morning.'

Remus nodded. He took one last look at the frozen tree, then walked towards the trunk. There was a hole in the ground. Carefully Remus sat on the grass and lowered himself inside. He slid down the muddy slope and landed on his feet. Remus held up the lantern. The tunnel was long and dark. Remus took a deep breath and set off. His feet slipped occasionally on the mud as the tunnel sloped downwards. After a while, it began to rise until Remus saw a handle glint in the light from the lantern. Remus took hold of it and pushed. The trapdoor opened. Remus put the lantern on the floor then hauled himself into the room.

The house was simple. The walls were wooden and there was little furniture. Remus got to his feet and closed the trapdoor. Holding up the lantern Remus left what he thought was the living room and proceeded into the hallway. The house was as dingy as the tunnel. Remus climbed the stairs. They creaked with every step. There was only a single room upstairs. A four poster bed sat in the corner. A curtain-less window illuminated it. Remus shut the door and put the lantern on a nearby table. He then walked over to the window.

_Here we go again_, he thought dully. Remus looked out into the night. The moon was just hidden. It would be seconds before it appeared. His mind began to wander as he waited. Remus thought of Tala, wondering how she was, if she'd even spoken to their dad recently. It had been over a month since he'd last saw her.

A white glow suddenly bathed Remus and he looked up in fear. There it was, that white orb hanging in the black night. That thing which ruined his life every month. The thing he feared. Remus clenched his fists as his entire body began to shake; he let out a yell of pain, falling to his knees. His hands gripped at his hair as he hunched over in a ball.

'No! Please no!'

But his shouts weren't going to stop the transformation. Remus screamed as he felt his face begin to lengthen, turning into the muzzle; his clenched hands were forced apart as they turned into paws, his nails growing to sharp claws; he kicked his shoes off his feet as they grew in length and changed into his hind paws. His back arched in pain, ripping the shirt on his back. Fur began to cover his face and body. Remus's eyes snapped open, no longer friendly and brown but yellow, a slit for the pupil, and full of hatred.

The werewolf howled loudly. It tore at the clothes on its back, snarling and growling. If you had called his name, Remus Lupin was no longer there to answer. The rest of the night the werewolf howled in anger at its lack of people to bite, lack of space to run. It contented itself by scratching itself and running at the door, trying to escape. It slashed its paws over the wood, destroying the walls and furniture. It howled and snarled until the early hours of the morning when the moon finally waned and a tired and injured Remus came back. He stood dazedly at first and glanced round at the destruction he'd caused, then collapsed unconscious.

Remus awoke later that day in the hospital wing. His whole body ached and he was covered in scratches. His head throbbed. He swallowed, only just being able to stop himself throwing up. The transformations were taking their toll on the eleven year old boy already. Remus didn't know how he would cope the rest of his life with them. But for now it was one challenge he'd overcome, more than a lifetime's worth to come, and Remus let his eyes fall shut again. All he wanted to do was sleep … and forget …

* * *

**AN: hope you liked it and please leave a review. from here on I'll probably skip through the rest of the first year to get to the main reason of the story, Tala and Sirius's relationship, having now established the relationships between the rest of them****. oh, and I changed the title because it had been bugging me for a while. I might change it again but I can't think of any decent ones to really describe my story. if you have any suggestions, i'd love to hear them. thanks. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	7. Letters

Chapter 7

Letters

Remus had been at Hogwarts now for just over a month. It already seemed like a second home to him. James and Sirius were great friends to hang out with; he got on well with the other first years in Gryffindor; the work load wasn't too much at the moment but it was only the start of the year; and so far no one had questioned his odd behaviour a few weekends ago. Only one thing remained on Remus's mind.

After finishing his homework for that day, Remus retreated to his dormitory and pulled out some parchment. Loading his quill with ink, he sat for a few moments with it poised over the parchment. Once the words were arranged in his mind Remus began to write.

_October 7th  
__Dear Tala_

_Just thought I'd drop you an owl, see how you are. How's it going over Grams' house  
__with the training? I hope she's not pushing you too hard. Changing into animals can't be  
__easy. But knowing you, you'll be able to handle whatever she throws at you. I know  
__what you're like. You don't give up on anything too easily. How's Mum? Is she all right?  
__Has she spoken to Dad at all since you went to Grams'? Dad said you'd been in  
__contact but he didn't say much else. He doesn't really say much about you and Mum  
__these days._

_It's a pity you couldn't come to platform nine and three-quarters to see me off. I really  
__wanted to see you before I started to Hogwarts. We waited at the platform as long as we  
__could but you didn't come. Dad said I had to get on the train. But maybe you can be  
__there to see me at Christmas. I'm coming home then. Perhaps we'll get to see each other  
__then._

_Hogwarts is really great. I've met some great people and the stuff we're learning is  
__amazing. I can't wait until you start here next year. You'll love it. Anyway on the train I  
__met these two boys, James Potter and Sirius Black. They're really funny and like  
__practical jokes. I know, bit of an odd combination, me and them. But they're really nice.  
__James loves Quidditch and Sirius is a bit of a rebel but a great laugh. Maybe you'll get to  
__meet them at Christmas too, that is if they're allowed to come over and if you and Mum  
__come home._

_I really miss you, Tal. The rest of the summer wasn't the same without you. It was so  
__quiet round the house. I hope you'll be home soon. It's just not the same anymore. And  
__I'm sure Dad misses you and Mum too, even though he doesn't say it._

_Keep in touch, yeah? Write back soon.  
__Remus_

Remus reread the letter once he'd finished it. Unable to think of anything else to put in it, he placed it in an envelope, wrote Tala's name on the front and the address of their grandmother's house, then left his dormitory to post it.

This was the first of many letters Remus wrote to his sister throughout the year. And with each reply he got back, his hope of seeing her at home again slowly seemed to diminish as the letters themselves got shorter.

_October 19th  
__Dear Remus_

_It's been a long time. I thought you'd forgotten about me. How've you been? I've been  
__OK here at Grams'. Not quite the same as being at home but I'm starting to get used to it  
__now. I haven't done much training yet. I'm still getting the basics of actually transforming  
__at the moment. Grams makes it look so easy but it really isn't. Every time I transform it  
__feels like my bones are scratching against each other. It hurts a bit but I'm getting used to  
__it. Otherwise nothing much has really happened._

_Mum's all right. She was quite quiet at the start after we got here but now she acts as if  
__nothing's different. She got a letter from Dad about a week ago but we haven't heard  
__from him since and I don't know if she replied. And same here, whenever I ask Mum  
__about you or Dad she falls silent and doesn't reply. At night I've even heard her crying.  
__Though she doesn't say it I'm sure she misses you both like I do. As for Christmas, I  
__don't think it will happen. I need not say the reason. You can probably guess._

_I really wanted to come and see you on platform nine and three-quarters but Mum  
__wouldn't let me. She refused completely. But I'm glad to hear you've made some friends.  
__It does sound weird though, you mixed with a couple of jokers. I'm sure they're nice  
__people though. I'd love to hear more about them. And I can't wait to start Hogwarts  
__either. At least I know there is sometime in the future I'll get to see you again._

_I miss you too, Remus. I wake up every morning expecting to see you but you're never  
__there. You won't forget me, will you? I know Hogwarts is exciting and everything but  
__promise me you will write? Miss you loads.  
__Tala xxx_

-o-

_November 12th  
__Dear Tala_

_Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been a little busy with school work amongst other  
__things. I'm guessing you know what I'm on about. Things are really starting to kick off at  
__Hogwarts in more ways than one. James and Sirius have sort of started an unofficial war  
__against one of the Slytherins in our year. He's called Severus. Every so often they  
__attempt to prank each other though Severus always seems to get the stinging end of the  
__wand. The other day he made Sirius's shoe laces tie together but they got him back by  
__turning his underwear pink. It was quite funny but also wrong in some ways.  
_

_How are you doing? Can you change into any animals yet? If so, what kinds? Is Grams  
__starting you on magical creatures or Muggle ones? Sorry about the questions. I'm just  
__really interested in what you are. I read that there hasn't been one like you in over two  
__centuries. I always said you were unique. Now it's for certain._

_I'm going to write to Dad soon and see if you can come home at Christmas and if  
__James and Sirius come over. Hopefully I'll see you then. Give my love to Mum and  
__Grams. I'll write again soon.  
__Remus_

-o-

_November 23rd  
__Dear Remus_

_Was it that time again? I mean, the reason you took so long to write back? Was it  
__because of that thing Mum and Dad were trying to hide from me? Remus, what is going  
__on? You seem so healthy most of the time but that one time every month, you look like  
__you're about to pass out. What's wrong?_

_Sorry, I suppose you don't want to talk about it. I can't blame you if you don't. My thing  
__is not something I want everyone to know about either. A right pair of Secret Keepers we  
__are._

_That sounds really funny, what you wrote about Sirius and James turning that other  
__boy's underwear pink. Sirius and James sound like a right laugh to be around. It'll be  
__good for you to be around them. You deserve some fun once in a while. You'll have to  
__describe them to me or send me a photo or something. All they are, are just names on a  
__page at the moment. I'd love to meet them._

_Well, can't think of much else to say right now. Besides I'm meant to be practicing  
__turning into a cat at the moment. I'll let you know whenever I manage a new animal. _

_Speak to you soon.  
__Tala xxx_

-o-

_December 5th  
__Dear Remus_

_Just thought I should owl you. Dad sent us a letter about coming home at Christmas.  
__Mum's not letting me. I don't know if that changes your plans or anything …_

_Tala xxx_

-o-

_December 25th  
__Dear Tala_

_Hey, Happy Christmas. I'm at home like I said I would be and I got your present. The  
__book's really interesting. I never knew there were so many different Muggle animals. I  
__hope you got mine. I hope you like it. James and Sirius helped me pick it out though they  
__thought it was for a girlfriend rather than my sister. They can be a right pair of twats  
__sometimes but they're great friends either way._

_Speaking of James and Sirius, they came over last week. They liked the house and the  
__garden but I made sure they stayed out of your room so don't worry. Nothing's out of  
__place. They did ask where you and Mum were but I told them you were out shopping.  
__They didn't question me after that. Anyway, you asked for a description of them._

_James is the tallest out of the three of us and has really messy black hair and wears  
__round glasses; Sirius, on the other hand, has neat black hair but they're both about the  
__same length. Neither of them wears their uniform properly; their ties are always hanging  
__loosely round their necks and their shirts are untucked but somehow they still look really  
__smart in their robes._

_Personality wise, they're virtually identical. They both love pranks though Sirius seems  
__to come up with the more inventive ones. He says the reason is because he wants to try  
__them on his younger brother but never got the chance. That's something about Sirius, he  
__hates his family. Not sure why at the moment but he was so happy when he got his reply  
__from a letter he sent them telling them he was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin. James is  
__the leader and puts the pranks into reality, normally on Severus which makes one of the  
__Gryffindor girls get a bit annoyed. She's called Lily Evans and is friends with him. She  
__reminds me of you a bit actually. The disapproving look you sometimes gave me and the  
__friendly nature to everyone._

_Oh, I almost forgot. There's one more boy we sort of hang out with. His name's Peter  
__Pettigrew. He's a bit short and chubby but he's seems a nice guy. Bit on the quiet side  
__and gets in trouble quite a bit but James and Sirius take pity on him and help him out  
__when he needs it. He's started hanging out with us but always remains in the  
__background. Sort of reminds me of a mouse or something._

_Sorry, I've rambled on. Well, Happy Christmas and New Year. Love to Mum.  
__Remus_

-o-

_February 16th  
__Dear Tala_

_Sorry I took so long to write again. People were starting to wonder why I've been going  
__home every month since school started. I've been telling them that Mum's been ill but  
__it's been hard to keep the lie going. James and Sirius are starting to get really  
__suspicious, Sirius in particular. Got any suggestions?_

_Remus_

-o-

_February 26th  
__Dear Remus_

_No I don't have any suggestions. You could just tell them what's wrong. I don't mean  
__everyone. Just the people you trust. If they're you're friends they'll stick by you, won't  
__they? I know I don't know what's wrong but you could also tell me too. Don't keep them in  
__the dark._

_Thinking of you always.  
__Tala xxx_

-o-

_March 14th  
__Dear Tala_

_This is not something I can just tell people. It's not something people are going to  
__welcome with open arms, you know. How would you like it if you knew a monster was  
__living inside you, waiting to come out?_

_Geeze, I'm sorry, Tal, I didn't mean it. It's just … a little hard to cope with at the moment.  
__The pressure of keeping it secret and stuff. And I would tell you but … Mum and Dad are  
__right. You're too young to know yet. Maybe when it's more under control, then I'll tell you,  
__yeah?_

_Remus_

-o-

_March 30th  
__Dear Remus_

_That's what Mum and Dad said when they separated us, that I was too young to know.  
__I know I'm only ten but … you can trust me, can't you? I am your sister. I know it's hard,  
__Remus, but we're all here for you and I'm sure if James and Sirius knew then they'd be  
__there to help you too. You said they were decent people._

_I know I can't make you tell anyone so I guess I'll just end the letter. I can transform into  
__quite a few animals now. Just thought you'd like to know. Write again soon.  
__Tala_

-o-

_April 11th  
__Dear Tala_

_Tala, of course I trust you. I trust you more than anyone I know. You're my sister for  
__Merlin's sake. I just don't want to trouble you with this. It's my problem. You've got your  
__own to worry about, the training and stuff. And soon you'll be starting Hogwarts too.  
__You'll have to get ready for that as well in July._

_Looking forward to your next reply.  
__Remus_

Tala put down the latest letter from Remus. After a few moments, she got up from her desk. She walked over to her bookcase and reached up to the top most shelf. A thick leather-bound book sat on it. Tala pulled it out of its place and took it over to her bed. A single page corner was folded over. Tala turned to it and stared at its writing.

_Werewolf is the term given to a person who has been infected with lycanthropy  
__through receiving a bite from another werewolf at the full moon. In the time  
__leading up to the full moon, the infected begin to suffer from lethargy, nausea  
__and are unable to concentrate or focus for long periods of time._

_Once a month, when the moon is full, the infected transforms into another  
__being when the moon's light hits them. In this form the werewolf no longer retains  
__any memory of its human form. It would not be able to distinguish friend from foe.  
__It would kill its best friend or family member if they got in their way. When the  
__moon has waned the werewolf returns to its human form, weakened and ill._

Tala blinked. A tear escaped from under her closed lids from her blue eyes. She hoped beyond hope that Remus wasn't suffering from this. But everything around her, Remus's symptoms, the time his illness is occurring, everything was telling her it was true.

_May 7th  
__Dear Tala_

_Hey, you haven't written in a while. You didn't reply to my last letter. I was getting  
__worried. Is everything all right? Has anything happened?_

_Exams are coming soon so I might not be able to write in a while. Got a lot of revision  
__to do. James and Sirius are taking it as lazily as they always do. Peter though is  
__cramming as hard as possible._

_Please write back. I miss you.  
__Remus_

-o-

_May 19th  
__Dear Remus_

_No, nothing's wrong. I've just had a lot of training recently. I can now transform into water  
__creatures and Grams is trying to teach me how to fly now. It's really confusing trying to  
__remember to flap your wings as well as run to take off.  
_

_Good luck in your exams. I'm sure you'll pass. Good luck to Sirius, James and Peter  
__too. See you._

_Miss you too.  
__Tala_

-o-

_June 1st  
__Dear Tala_

_School finishes in about a month. Maybe I'll see you on the platform when I come  
__home. And Happy Birthday in case I don't get to write in time for it. James and Sirius say  
__it too. I told them you were going to be eleven and they mumbled something in between  
__Potions notes. Exams are really hectic. I'll send your present as soon as I can._

_Remus_

June trickled away and soon Remus, James, Sirius and Peter (who was now one of their group after a prank Severus played on him which had been meant for James) were sitting in a compartment together on the train back to London. As the station pulled into view Remus looked out of the window and searched for any sign of Tala or his mother standing there. Nothing.

'See you guys in September,' said James jovially, hauling his trunk up the platform. 'I can't wait for year two.'

'Yeah, all the pranks we're going to play,' laughed Sirius. 'Plus Regulus will be there so no mum or dad to stop me pranking him any longer. See you, Remus.'

Sirius waved at the group before running off where a pair of stern adults were standing waiting for him. Peter disappeared shortly afterwards when a rotund woman came and collected him. James was the last to go, telling Remus he hoped he could come round during the summer.

'Yeah, I'll ask Dad about it,' said Remus and he bade James goodbye.

Once James had gone Remus spotted his father standing a few feet away from him up the platform, alone. Neither Tala nor his mother was there. John saw his son's sad look and walked over to him. He gave him a gentle smile.

'You'll see them again soon, Remus,' he said gently. Remus glanced up at his Dad. He wanted to believe him but now it was too hard. The prospect of seeing Tala again was slipping away. The only time he knew he was to see her was when they were to be reunited at Hogwarts.

* * *

**AN: next chapter up. do leave a review and tell me what you think. hopefully i've developed Tala and Remus's relationship and shown she already has an interest in who James and Sirius are. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	8. Family Ties

Chapter 8

Family Ties

The summer days passed in a series of patterns: one moment the days were long, too long, and Remus would wait for it to end; others seemed to pass in a matter of minutes. Like the previous July, summer wasn't the same for Remus at all. When he'd look out in the garden he expected to see Tala sitting there on the swing. She'd see him and wave at him to come and play. Otherwise whenever Remus was in his room, he expected Tala to come rushing in to tell him something completely random. They'd have a laugh together and Remus would mess Tala's hair (something she hated) and she'd force him to give her a piggy back and things just wouldn't seem to matter. Nowadays John would find Remus sitting at his desk doing his summer homework or reading one of the numerous books from his office.

'Why don't you invite your friends around?' he asked him one evening at dinner. Remus looked up from his plate when his father addressed him. 'That James Potter and – who's the other one?'

'Sirius,' replied Remus. 'And there's Peter too.'

'Yes, those boys,' said John. He got up and took Remus's plate, seeing he'd finished. He went over to the sink and put the plates in it. 'They seemed playful boys. Why don't you ask them over?'

'It's the full moon next week, Dad,' said Remus dismally. John, in the midst of scooping some ice cream into a couple of bowls, stopped and looked at his son over his shoulder. Remus had his head bowed and was staring at the table. 'I won't have the energy for their games. I probably won't even be able to get out of bed by Monday.'

John held in a sigh. He picked up the two bowls of ice cream and sat back down. He passed one to Remus. Not many things could cheer Remus up these days. However, there was one piece of news that could possible cheer him up.

'You know,' John began, 'Tala wrote to me the other day. She said she could transform into a wolf now.'

Remus perked up a bit. He raised his eyes, then said, 'Really?'

'Hmm,' John nodded, 'and she can transform into a horse. Makes that nickname you gave her make proper sense now. Hooves, was it?'

'Yeah.'

'She told me she can't wait to show you.' John ate a spoonful of ice cream. 'She really wants to see you.'

'Well, I want to see her too,' said Remus. He pushed the ice cream around the bowl with his spoon. The melted parts left a smooth trail on the china. 'I really miss her. But it's not like I'm going to get to see her until she comes to Hogwarts. Even then our time might be limited.'

'Oh, you'll be seeing her sooner than you think,' mused John quietly to himself if he had his way. He hid the grin on his face by eating another spoonful. 'Much sooner.'

As predicted, Remus began to lose his energy and feel sick as the full moon approached. On the night John locked him down in the cellar as before and sat with him until he heard the howls, indicating he'd transformed. The next morning John carried the injured Remus back to his room to sleep off the traumatic experience. After a couple days rest and a Revitalising Potion, Remus was well enough to take a trip into Diagon Alley to get his books for his second year at Hogwarts.

The day Tala received her letter for Hogwarts she thought would be the best in her life. She would go running into her brother's room and jump up and down on his bed until he got up so she could show him her letter. Instead Tala found herself sitting at the table in her grandma's dining room with the letter sitting beside her unopened having been delivered by the school owl. Tala didn't want to open it. It was only when her Mum entered the kitchen that the letter was acknowledged.

'Oh, darling, you've got your letter,' said Catherine enthusiastically. Tala merely shrugged, eating her breakfast. 'Well show a little more enthusiasm, why don't you? Aren't you going to open it?'

Tala glanced at her mother from behind her hair and said, 'Sure.' She did so. Ripping open the envelope Tala pulled out the pieces of parchment from inside. '"Dear Miss Lupin. We are please to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts", etc. I got in. Yay.'

Catherine gave Tala a disapproving look and tutted.

'You're going to have to show more enthusiasm than that when you get there,' she said. Catherine picked up the equipment list that had come with the letter and scanned it. 'Hogwarts' is a pretty amazing place to go.'

Secretly Tala rolled her eyes. These days nothing could really make her smile properly. Ever since her mother had split her and Remus up Tala's normally bubbly personality had diminished. Even more so when she discovered what Remus was. Tala loved her parents to bits but when she found out what her Mum had been hiding made her bitter towards her.

'Guess we're going to have to take a trip to Diagon Alley today,' Catherine was saying, unaware of Tala's current mood. _Great_, she thought silently. 'We'll have to get your robes and wand. As for your books, we should be able to afford them. Either that or you can have Remus's ones from last year.'

Catherine turned to Tala. She hadn't moved from her seat.

'Come on, Tala, get a move on,' Catherine ushered Tala from the table. 'Get dressed. We've got to get your school supplies. Get dressed and come back down so we can leave.'

Groaning inwardly, Tala sloped off upstairs to get dressed.

Remus and John arrived at the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Powder around eleven that morning so that John could stop at the Ministry on the way to collect some papers. Once there they headed towards Flourish and Blotts to buy Remus's new books. He needed the _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ mainly but there were a couple other recommended books on the list that Remus wanted to get. Books were his only distraction at home to get his mind off Tala.

'Argh!'

Tala stumbled out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron tripped on her undone shoelaces. Catherine and her grandma appeared seconds later. The three of them were covered in soot, Tala more so due to her fall at the last grate. Catherine sighed in exasperation and did up Tala's laces. She pulled her to her feet and they left, Tala lagging behind with her hands in her pockets.

'Come along, Tala!' called her mother. 'We haven't got time to dawdle. We've got lots of things to get.'

The first stop for Tala was Ollivanders to get her wand. It took a few tries but Tala found a wand which suited her, twelve inches made of Oak with a phoenix feather core (Remus had dragon heartstring). Catherine paid for it and they moved on to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get her school robes. Standing on a platform, Tala held out her arms as a pair of robes almost three times too big was draped over her for adjustments to be made.

'Is there anything else you want, Remus?' asked John. Hands full of books and refills for Remus's potion kit from the apothecary, the two of them were heading back to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo home. 'You know, we can still get you a pet. Phoebus is getting on so he might not be able to fly to Hogwarts quite so often.'

'Nah, I'll just use one of the school owls or borrow James's,' said Remus. 'Besides, Tala always said she wanted an owl.'

'What about a cat then?' John asked.

'With a werewolf for an owner?' Remus gave his father a sceptical look.

'Ah, I see you're point. Well then I guess we better head home. Come on, son.'

John and Remus made their way through the crowd back to the Leaky Cauldron. Remus's eyes drifted vaguely over the shop windows as they passed wondering if he'd see any of his school friends. He stopped suddenly and did a double take. He could have sworn he'd just seen Tala in Madam Malkin's. Someone with long dark red hair had just been there trying on school robes. But when Remus looked back whoever it was had gone.

'Remus?'

Remus heard his father calling him from up the street. He glanced between him and the shop then turned away.

'Coming, Dad!'

Tala stared into the crowd, frozen. Had she imagined it? She could have sworn that when she and her mother had stepped out of Madam Malkin's a boy looking exactly like Remus had walked past the shop up the street. She ran forwards to try and get a better look but he disappeared into the crowd. Tala heard her mother calling her and slowly turned away. The chances of her and Remus both being in Diagon Alley the same day were very unlikely. She caught up with her Mum and grandma and they continued their shopping.

-o-

'Remus is in bed.'

'So is Tala. Out like a candle as usual. Just like her father.'

Catherine and her mother, Pippa, were knelt on the hearthrug speaking to John through the fire. John had Flooed them earlier to see if they were free to speak but Remus had appeared wanting to get a drink and he was forced to end the conversation abruptly. John had only just been able to reply once he'd managed to get Remus back to his room.

'We can't keep this up, Catherine,' said John. 'Remus isn't the same without his sister. He misses her so much. I caught him lying asleep on her bed the other day holding one of her stuffed animals.'

'I know what you mean,' sighed Catherine. 'Tala's becoming more distant towards me every passing day and at night I could hear her calling Remus's name. But I can't bear to see her hurt by learning of Remus's condition or by Remus _himself_.'

'Catherine, give her some credit.' John gave her a disappointed look. 'Have some faith in your daughter. She's made of stronger fibre than that, just like you are. You know what she's like. She'd help her brother even if he had dragon pox.'

'I know, that's what I'm afraid of.' Catherine looked away from her husband, her fingers trailing over the hearthrug. 'That she'll be hurt trying to help him. Tala's such a strong willed little girl but she hasn't yet learnt completely how to think before she acts. I just … can't bear to see her hurt as well. My little boy attacked when he was only six … I can't lose either of them.'

Catherine stopped, unable to continue due to emotion.

'Maybe it's time you consider coming home?' Her eyes snapped up. John was looking at her more seriously than ever before. 'Remus is dealing with it remarkably well considering and he and I have worked out a regular plan for when the full moon appears. Besides I miss you, love. I miss us being a family.'

'Tala will be safe, Catherine,' added Pippa. She rubbed her daughter's arm reassuringly. 'She can't get infected with the lycanthropy even if the werewolf did bite her at the full moon. Because she's an Animagus, she's immune to the werewolf venom due to already being … part animal if you want. Their structure is in her DNA and can't be changed. Tala can never become a werewolf.'

Catherine looked at her mother, searching for confirmation of this in her eyes. She gripped her hand on her arm. Pippa smiled gently at her.

'What d'you say, Cath?' asked John. 'Can we be a family again? Remember what you said in your last letter …'

Catherine smiled as she remembered what she'd written, 'Yeah.' She looked at her husband, a vague smile just appearing on her lips. 'I guess it's time.'

-o-

'Who were you talking to last night?'

John looked round to see Remus standing in the open doorway. He was in his office preparing some notes for a presentation on the legalisation of breeding unicorns for trade of the horns and hair for uses other than wands.

'Son?'

'You were talking to someone last night in the fireplace,' said Remus. He walked into his Dad's study.

'Yeah, I was,' said John. 'I was talking to your Mum.' For a moment Remus's heart fluttered. The excitement instantly evaporated again though when he realised it probably wasn't what he thought about. 'Your mother and I have been discussing this for a while and last night we came to an agreement.'

_Here it comes_, thought Remus. _They're getting a divorce_.

Divorce was a subject rarely addressed in wizard marriages. They were more common in the Muggle world though the occasional divorce did occur in the wizarding world. In the wizarding world, the Muggle idea of "soul mates" was much more of a reality. A wizard or witch can date many people or fall in love with others, however, when he or she finds "the one" they are meant to be with, no matter what the age, the bond of love is so strong that no love potion could possibly replicate it and it is hard for the love to be forgotten.

'We've decided that …' John couldn't help the smile on his face, 'Tala and your mother are coming home.'

'Really?' John nodded. Remus was ecstatic at the news. His heart was in his throat. 'When? When are they coming home?'

'Mum's moving their stuff home when Tala and you are back at Hogwarts to save any fuss. You might not get to see them before then but we're going to meet on platform nine and three-quarters on the first of September.'

Remus beamed. He couldn't believe it. His Mum and Tala were coming home. Sure, he wasn't going to see Tala before she started Hogwarts but still. They were coming home! Nothing could be better!

August just seemed to vanish and the summer days faded away along with the last of Tala's training. She was now capable of transforming into a range of creatures both magical and Muggle though some she found easier than others. Tala still had a long way to go according to her grandma but she'd learnt enough for this summer. All that was left now was for Tala to get ready for Hogwarts. She had all her books; her robes and clothes were all clean and folded ready to be packed; Tala's trunk lay open and waiting on her bedroom floor; and her owl, a little tawny owl Tala had called Swish, was in his cage with his head under his wing asleep.

Tala, on the other hand, had no intention of packing. She was taking a stand. Tala didn't want the first time she saw Remus again to be on the Hogwarts Express or a small glimpse around the castle if she didn't get into Gryffindor too. Tala was not going to Hogwarts until she'd been home and seen her brother and Dad for at least a day. She wasn't going anyway until she'd seen them.

That was something about Tala. Over the past year or so Tala had developed a stubbornness completely her own. She'd always been stubborn when it came to certain things but since her separation from Remus, Tala had become very stubborn when it came to the things she believed in: one of these things, of course, was her want and need to see the rest of her family and her refusal to go to Hogwarts because of it; another concerned her brother's condition.

A few months ago Tala had been looking for her Mum and had gone into her bedroom at Grams' house. Pushing open the door Tala had found that her Mum wasn't in there. Tala had been about to leave when she heard a scratching at the window. It was an owl, a rather important looking owl at that. It had a letter in its beak for her Mum bearing the Hogwarts crest. It intrigued Tala. It couldn't be her Hogwarts letter, it was too early. Taking the letter the owl flew off having made its delivery.

Tala knew she shouldn't open it but she was compelled to. What could Hogwarts possible want to discuss with her parents? Unless it was to do with Remus! Tala quickly ran out of her mother's room and into her own. Making sure that she wasn't likely to be disturbed, Tala shut her door and opened the letter. It was about Remus! That the "measures we have taken to ensure both his and other students' safety during the full moon has been working" and Remus was "dealing with his condition remarkably". Tala stared at the letter before shoving it into her desk when she heard footsteps on the landing.

Since reading that letter Tala became determined to help Remus deal with his lycanthropy. Having found out what was wrong with him through research of his symptoms and the occurrence of his illness, Tala started to formulate a way of trying to help him. There had to be a way. Maybe she could use her Animagus ability to help him. But a werewolf could probably overpower any animal she changed into. Plus, the size of the animal she changed into was in proportion to her own size and age, within reason. If she changed into a mouse at the moment, she'd still be a mouse, but if she changed into a horse, for example, she would not resemble a fully grown horse but more likely a foal. Would that be able to take on a werewolf? All Tala knew was that somehow, someway, she was going to help Remus.

The last week of August came and still Tala hadn't packed. Catherine had told her that she had to be packed by the Wednesday at the latest because she knew how last minute Tala was. Catherine gently knocked on the door to Tala's room. Inside, Tala glanced at her door before turning back to her photo album. She was supposed to be packing her trunk but everything was still lying around her room. She'd been staring at a picture of her and Remus that had been taken on holiday the previous year. Tala hadn't seen Remus since about a month after that. Catherine saw the disarray Tala's room was in.

'Tala, why haven't you packed?' asked Catherine as she walked into her room.

'Because I'm not going to Hogwarts,' replied Tala stubbornly.

'What? Tala that's ridiculous,' said Catherine. She picked up the books on her bed and started to place them into her trunk. 'Of course you're going to Hogwarts. You're going to get on the train on the first and you're going to love it there. Why wouldn't you go?'

'I'm not going anyway until I've seen Remus and my Dad,' said Tala angrily.

'Tala, you'll see Remus at Hogwarts, if not on the platform beforehand.'

'It's not the same. I want to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed. I want my brother.'

'Tala, you've got to understand,' sighed her mother.

'No!' shouted Tala. 'I'm eleven years old and I need my brother! You separated us because you were scared of me getting bitten! I know he's a werewolf but I don't care! I'm not scared of him! I want to see Dad and my brother. You can't do this! I want to go home to him!'

Tala watched as her mother got more and more stressed and continued to pack Tala's trunk.

'Tala, I will not tell you again,' said her mother, trying to keep her patience with her. 'You will get on that train and go to Hogwarts. You need your education.'

'I need my brother more! I'm not going!'

Tala ran out of her room in tears and out into the garden. She ran over to the big oak tree in her grandma's back garden and sat on the wooden swing hanging from one of the branches. She clutched the string tightly, her forehead against it as she cried. How could her mum separate her from her brother because he was a werewolf? It didn't make any sense.

'Remus,' she cried quietly. 'I need you.'

'Can I join you?' Tala looked up to see Grams standing behind her. There was a caring and concerned look on her face. Tala nodded. She came and sat on the swing next to her. 'Now,' she said calmly. 'What's got you in such a fuss and in tears?' Grams gently wiped Tala's cheeks with a handkerchief. Tala sniffed. 'It's such a shame to see those blue eyes full of tears.'

'Mum won't let me go see Remus,' cried Tala. 'I haven't seen him or – or been home s-since last year. I need my brother and my D-Dad. I miss them.'

'And he misses you too,' said Grams. She put her arm around Tala's shoulders and hugged her. 'But your Mum's right. You need to go to Hogwarts. You need to get your education.'

'But I need Remus more than I need teaching.'

'Oh, sweetie.' Grams laughed softly and kissed her forehead. 'Now, dry your eyes. I won't have my favourite granddaughter in tears.'

'I'm your only granddaughter, Grams,' sniffed Tala.

'But you're still my favourite. Now, listen to me.' Grams looked seriously at her. 'I'll make a deal with you. You go to Hogwarts for me and I promise you'll see your brother the moment you get to platform nine-and-three-quarters. I'll make sure of it.'

'But I want to see him at home first,' Tala mumbled.

'Tala, we have to compromise,' said Grams. 'I want doesn't always get in the world.' Tala nodded. 'You may not be able to see him before you go to Hogwarts but you can certainly see him the moment you step on to that platform.'

'Promise, Grams?' asked Tala. She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

'I promise. Now dry your tears and let's go get some tea. I know a great fish and chip shop down the road. Let's have something decent to eat for once instead of your mum's nettle soup. Yuck.'

Tala laughed as her Grams pulled a face. Drying the last of her tears, they got of the swings and headed back inside.

On September first in the two separate houses both Tala and Remus were up and ready as quickly as possible. Neither could wait to see the other. While Remus and John used the Floo network to the Leaky Cauldron then a cab to get to King's Cross, Tala, Catherine and Grams caught the Knight Bus. Remus and John were there first. They got on to the platform, the gleaming Hogwarts Express issuing steam over the people getting on to the train. A few minutes behind them were Tala, Catherine and Grams walking up between platforms nine and ten towards the hidden barrier, Tala pushing her trolley with her trunk Swish in his cage.

They stopped in front of the barrier. Tala stared at it and swallowed.

'OK, Tala, through you go,' instructed Catherine.

Tala looked at the barrier. It looked completely solid. She didn't think she'd get through. But as instructed by her Mum earlier, Tala casually walked to the barrier, looking around at anything other than it, and discreetly passed through it on to the platform to see a gleaming red train in front of her: the Hogwarts Express. Her eyes widened when she saw it. It was huge! Gram's and Mum appeared behind her.

'Well, Tala,' said Grams, 'there is the train which will take you to school: the Hogwarts Express.'

'Big,' was all Tala could say.

Remus glanced around the platform. Then he saw her; standing barely ten feet away, dark red hair flowing down her back, was his sister.

'Tala!'

Tala gasped and looked round. She'd heard her name come from a voice she'd been waiting to hear for the past year. She didn't recognise it at first because it was a little deeper than she remembered but when she saw him, Tala's eyes lit up and a smile came to her face; Remus. He was grinning at her. Instantly Tala left her trunk with her Mum and ran through the crowd towards him. She jumped into his arms, Remus picking her up in a tight hug.

'I've missed you so much,' cried Tala as her brother held her. 'Don't leave me again.'

'I promise,' whispered Remus. 'I'll never leave you again, Tal, I won't.' Remus put her down and looked at her. 'I missed you so much. I can't wait until your home.'

Tala's smile faded.

'What are you talking about, Remus?' she said dismally. 'Mum's not allowing it, you know that. She said she won't have it.'

'I think you're a little mistaken,' said Remus. Tala looked at him strangely. The grin was still on his face. 'Dad said to me that you and Mum are coming home once we're back at Hogwarts. Tal, you're coming home and we won't get separated again. Mum thinks you're ready to handle it. She thinks you're ready to handle my … condition. And I'm going to look out for you at Hogwarts, like I should have done for the past year, like a big brother should.'

'I guess, but …' said Tala but she still sounded sad. 'Oh, Remus,' Tala flung her arms back round him, 'I'm so sorry, being bitten by a werewolf those years ago. What you must go through every month –'

'Hey, it's all right,' said Remus. 'I've gotten used to it over the years.' Tala pulled back and looked at him. Tears rimmed her blue eyes. 'It's just another day I have to cope with, that's all. But now you know it'll be easier for us. So long as you keep away when the time comes –'

'Remus, you're my brother!' gasped Tala. 'I-I'm going to help you. I'm sure there's a way –'

'Tala, no. There's nothing you can do. It'll be too dangerous.'

'I don't care. You shouldn't have to suffer alone.' Tala looked at him seriously. 'I'll help you, I promise.'

Remus hesitated. Once Tala had an idea in her head, it was very difficult to sway her mind otherwise.

'So what are these precautions they take?' Tala then asked.

'On the night of the full moon I'm moved to a house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade,' shrugged Remus. 'But we'll talk about that later. We've got ages for me to tell you. Right now, we better find Mum and Dad.'

'Are my ears burning?' laughed John. Remus and Tala looked to the left to see their parents and grandma approaching them. John had Remus's trunk while Catherine had Tala's, Grams carrying Swish in his cage. 'You two found each other then?' he asked his children. They nodded. 'How about giving your old man a hug, eh, Tal?'

Tala smiled, her first genuine smile in ages, and jumped into her Dad's open arms. He picked her up, holding her close. Remus too went over to them, receiving a hug from their Mum.

'Starting Hogwarts now, Tala,' said John. 'You're a big girl now.' Tala laughed. 'Mind, keep out of trouble and listen to your brother.'

'Aww, Dad, do I have to?' moaned Tala playfully. John gave her a serious look but winked as well.

'Come on you two,' said Catherine. 'It's time to get on the train, its quarter to eleven and your father and I have to sort things out and move stuff back from Grams' house.'

John put Tala down and she and Remus collected their trunks and owl from their parents. With their help they loaded them on to the train and said their goodbyes. Tala and Remus received a hug and a kiss each from their Mum and Grams, and another hug from their Dad. As the warning whistle went, Tala and Remus waved goodbye and went in search for a compartment.

'You can always stay with me, James, Sirius and Peter,' said Remus, walking ahead of Tala down the corridor. 'They've probably already got one somewhere around here. James said he was arriving early today. I'm sure they won't mind you sharing our compartment. Besides you said you wanted to meet them all.'

'I'd rather find some people my own age, Remus,' said Tala. 'I mean, better to make friends on the journey to Hogwarts instead of when you get there, right?'

Remus gave this some thought. It did make sense though those friends won't necessarily end up in the same House as you.

'Anyway, I'll get to meet Sirius, James and Peter when we get there,' continued Tala. 'I'm bound to be put in Gryffindor, yeah?'

'You might be in Ravenclaw like Mum was,' said Remus. 'You never know what House you'll be put in. It's up to the –'

'Oi, Remus!' yelled a voice behind them. Both he and Tala looked behind them. 'That your new girlfriend?'

Remus stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder. A twelve-year-old boy with black messy hair which stood up at the back and round glasses was grinning at him. Remus grinned back. James Potter, fresh from a busy summer holiday travelling with his parents, strode up the corridor towards. He didn't have his trunk with him meaning he'd already found a compartment. Remus and James greeted each other; Tala stood between them looking between the pair.

'How's your holiday been?' he asked. 'Do anything exciting?'

'Not much,' said Remus. 'I stayed at home mostly. You?'

'Dad took me to see the Montrose Magpies match in Scotland,' said James. 'It was amazing! They were playing the Caerphilly Catapults from Wales. Beat them three hundred and twenty to one hundred and ninety. It was amazing!'

'I'm sure it was.'

'Ahem.'

Tala cleared her throat. James and Remus looked at her. She raised her eyebrow at her brother.

'Oh yeah, the girlfriend,' said James. Tala glared at him.

'Potter, you twat,' Remus laughed. 'This isn't my girlfriend. This is my little sister, Tala. I told you about her. She's starting Hogwarts this year.' He turned to her. 'Tal, this is James Potter, one of my best friends. He's in Gryffindor with me.'

'Please to meet you,' said Tala brightly.

'Same,' said James. 'And sorry for the, er, girlfriend gibe. You and Remus don't look alike that much.'

'Tala looks like our Mum and I look like our Dad,' explained Remus. 'Besides that, Tala and I are practically the same.'

'He means weird in our own ways,' said Tala. She smiled at a rather bemused James.

'So,' Remus proceeded quickly, 'have you seen Sirius or Peter? I was going to introduce Tala to them.'

'Yeah, Peter's waiting for us in a compartment just up the corridor. Haven't seen Sirius yet but there's still five minutes before the train leaves. I'll give you guys a hand. D'you want me to take that?' James asked, pointing at Tala's owl.

Tala nodded and handed Swish to James. The three of them then continued up the corridor, James in the lead. In the fourth carriage they walked through they came to a compartment with a short round boy sitting inside it: Peter. He squeaked in surprise when he saw them and went to help bring in Remus's things. Remus quickly introduced him and Tala before going to take her trunk and put it in the luggage rack with his and James's. In the distance they heard the whistle blare. Sirius still hadn't appeared yet and it seemed the train was getting ready to leave.

'I think I will try and find some students my own age,' said Tala, holding on to her trunk. 'I want to make some friends before we get there. It was lovely to meet you both. Remus had told me so much about you.'

'And you,' said Peter.

'Remus talked about you all the time last year,' added James. Tala glanced at Remus to see him looking very interestingly at something out of the window. 'You two must have a very close relationship.'

'Yeah we do,' replied Tala. 'But that's what brothers and sisters are like. Don't you have any?'

'Nah, my parents had me quite late in life for wizard standards,' shrugged James. 'I'm an only child but hey, it means I get more attention, doesn't it?' Tala gave James a sceptical look, raising an eyebrow at him. 'Attitude, eh?' James glanced at Remus. 'You sure she's your sister, Remus?'

Remus nodded.

'You haven't seen anything yet, Potter,' said Tala slyly. 'See you around.'

Tala grabbed her trunk and owl and headed up the corridor. James, Remus and Peter watched as she left.

'Sure she's your sister?' asked James again. 'She seems too lively to be related to you.'

'Oh, she's a handful,' said Remus. 'But I can assure you, Tala and I are more alike than we seem on the outside.' Remus watched as his sister's hair flicked through the closing door. 'Oh yes.'

-o-

'Regulus, come on!' groaned Sirius. 'We're going to be late!'

'You try – lugging one of these – trunks!' panted Regulus. 'They weigh a ton!'

'What the hell d'you think I'm doing?'

'Sirius!' barked Orion Black. 'Mind your language, boy!'

Sirius rolled his eyes and groaned again. They wouldn't have needed to rush if Regulus had got up in time.

He stalked up the platform dragging his trunk behind him as fast as he could. He couldn't wait to get on the train and find James, Remus and Peter. His black hair tumbled over his eyes as he strode up the platform, his grey eyes focused on the train ahead. As soon as he was on the train it meant Sirius could take off the stupid tie and jacket his father had made him wear and finally shake up his hair (though it could never match the messiness of James Potter's). Sirius would finally be able to be himself.

Behind him, Regulus Black heaved his trunk up after him with their parents following. Similar to his brother Regulus had the same black hair which fell neatly into place but shorter than Sirius's but his eyes were brown. Contrary to Sirius, Regulus was more than happy to obey his parents' instructions. His clothes were clean and smart and his hair was smartly combed. He even wanted to be in Slytherin and carry on the family tradition, unlike his older sibling.

'All aboard!' shouted the station guard's voice.

Sirius made a last dash and grabbed the carriage door before the guard closed it. A short word from the guard, Sirius hauled his trunk on to the train and waited to help Regulus, only because his father would expect it. Regulus finally caught up and handed his trunk up to his brother. They got it on board and Sirius instantly turned to walk off.

'Aren't you going to say goodbye to Mum and Dad?' Regulus asked.

Sirius stopped and held in a groan. He turned round.

'See you in the summer!' he yelled, then walked off.

Glad to get away at last, Sirius dragged his trunk up the corridor to find James and the others. He tore at the tie around his throat and pulled it off, also unbuttoning the top button of his shirt to stop its restricting pressure around his neck. He dumped the tie on his trunk along with his jacket. Sirius passed compartment after compartment looking for the other three members of his group. In the first few carriages he couldn't find them; however, Sirius did pass fellow Housemates Frank Longbottom, Alice Prewett and Lily Evans (who gave him a bit of a dark look), while in another he saw Snivellus and his fellow second year Slytherins. They too glared at him so he glared back.

'Thank Merlin I'm not in Slytherin,' Sirius muttered under his breath once he'd passed their compartment. 'More fool Regulus if he wants to be in that House. But if he wants to follow mum and dad, that's his mistake. I'm not bailing him out.'

Though it didn't seem it, as the years progress, deep down Sirius did care for his younger brother and looked out for him occasionally. He just found him an irritating little snitch most of the time like Regulus found him an idiot but what that was brotherly love for you.

After what must have been the sixth carriage Sirius finally heard the familiar voices of James, Remus and Peter. Sirius sped up, hauling his trunk over the threshold of the carriage, and hurried up to them. A girl with long dark red hair was with them but she turned away as he reached them. The three of them watched as she left. Sirius only heard a small amount of what they were saying.

'She seems too lively to be related to you.'

'Oh, she's a handful,' Remus was saying. 'More alike than we seem on the outside. Oh yes.'

'Guys,' called Sirius, 'you're looking the wrong way. If you want to stare at something, I'm over here.'

James, Remus and Peter all look round. Sirius grinned. In addition to growing slightly taller over the summer, Sirius's cocky personality had also increased. James sniggered while Remus shook his head. Peter simply looked a bit vague.

'And you called me a twat, Remus,' said James.

'But you don't have an excuse to be,' countered Remus. 'Sirius is a law upon himself usually.'

'Exactly,' said Sirius. 'Now is one of you going to help me with my trunk. I feel like my arm's going to fall off.'

James and Remus laughed then obliged. Together they stored Sirius's trunk in the luggage rack with Peter's. With that done the four boys sat down to enjoy a long conversation and catch-up of the events over the summer.

'Bloody Sirius … thinks he's so strong … stupid haircut … complete idiot …'

Regulus walked up the corridor searching for a compartment with people his age, fuming about Sirius. He grasped the handle of his trunk with both hands in effort to drag it through the small corridors. His hands felt like they were raw with friction burns. All of a sudden the train gave a jerk as it moved along the track. Regulus tripped on his feet and fell over. He could hear the laughs of some older students in a nearby compartment. He glared angrily at the floor and started to get up.

'D'you want some help?' A hand took his and helped him stand. Regulus looked up. A girl stood in front of him, a concerned look on her face. 'D'you need a hand with your trunk?'

'Oh, that'd be great, thanks,' said Regulus awkwardly.

'No problem,' said Tala. 'There are a couple of compartments with some other first year students just up here. I'll help you get to one.'

She and Regulus took the trunk handle and together pulled it up the corridor to a compartment near the end. Inside it was about five students all of similar height, age and uneasiness as Tala and Regulus. Seeing another, a couple of boys got up and helped Regulus get his trunk into the luggage rack.

'There you go,' said Tala. She stopped and observed the boy she'd helped; he was slightly taller than her with short black hair and brown eyes. Tala then turned for the door. 'I'm in the compartment next door. I guess I'll see you at the Sorting?'

'Er, yeah,' said Regulus.

The girl had stopped and looked at him for a moment. It had sort of freaked Regulus a bit but gave him the opportunity to acknowledge her as well. The girl had blue eyes, a contrast to the dark red of her hair. It suddenly hit him though that he didn't know her name. But before he could ask, she'd gone.

The train rattled along the track for the next few hours and soon, Hogwarts once again loomed in the distance to invite back its old students and welcome its new ones.

* * *

**AN: here's the new (and very revised of the original) chapter. enjoy and please review. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	9. Sparing Glances

Chapter 9

Sparing Glances

When the train arrived at Hogwarts James, Sirius, Remus and Peter gathered their things and stepped on to the platform. They followed the crowd towards the horseless carriages that would take them up to school. Just down from them Tala and her fellow first years got off the train, leaving their luggage to be taken up to the school while they rode the boats. A giant of a man came stomping up the platform towards them calling, 'Firs' years! Firs' years this way!' Their eyes widened when they saw him.

'Come on, firs' years this way!'

Tala and the rest of her year slowly made their way towards the lake where the boats were docked. She and a boy called Jordan Green she'd met on the train got into a boat together with another girl. A few students away from them Tala saw the black haired boy she'd help get into a boat with a couple other boys. Regulus climbed into the boat uneasily, it rocking beneath his feet. He stumbled slightly and fell forwards. Tala looked anxiously at him. He saw the girl with red hair from earlier watching him. Regulus felt his face flush and hastily sat with his back to her. With a jerk the boats started to sail towards the castle, looming over them like a huge silhouette on the dark night's sky.

When they reached the castle, the man (apparently his name was Hagrid) got out of the boat he had to himself and started up the castle stairs. Tala and Jordan got out of theirs, following after him with a look of awe on their faces.

'I didn't think Hogwarts was this big,' breathed Tala. 'It's huge.'

'I know,' said Jordan. 'Professor Dumbledore said it was a castle but I didn't ever imagine it like this. I thought it'd be more like one of the universities in London.'

Tala gave Jordan a strange look as they climbed the stairs. What was a university? Jordan Green, a boy slightly taller than Tala with brown hair and eyes, was a Muggle-born. He'd told her on the train. Like with all Muggle-born students, the Headmaster had travelled to his home to talk to his parents about coming to Hogwarts. Anyway, he'd said some of the strangest things to Tala on the journey to Hogwarts but all it did was make her more fascinated to find out more.

They reached the top of the staircase where a stern woman dressed in green greeted them. She was the deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. Tala, Jordan and Regulus stood in the group silently as she welcomed and informed them of what was to happen. They were led into another room to wait for a few moments before Professor McGonagall came back to collect them for the Sorting.

'Merlin, I hope they hurry up with the Sorting soon,' moaned James, his head on his arms. He, Sirius, Remus and Peter had already got their seats with their fellow Gryffindors in the Great Hall. At the far end ten places were set ready for the new students. 'I'm starving!'

'Anyone would think you didn't get fed,' laughed Remus. 'The more you moan the longer it will take.'

James stuck his tongue out at him, sulking. Just then the doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall walked inside, a long line of first years following nervously behind her. Remus strained to find Tala in the group; he saw her next to a boy with brown hair, her eyes looking round in wonder. As Tala looked round the Hall her eyes saw someone watching her from the far table. It was Remus. She gave him a nervous smile. Remus saw this and returned it, nodding slightly in an encouraging fashion.

'Who were you smiling at?' asked Sirius. He looked over in the direction of the new first years. He could see his younger brother amongst them.

'My sister,' said Remus. 'I told you she was starting this year.'

'Which one is she?'

'The one with the long hair,' Remus pointed her out as the Sorting started, 'in the middle of the group.'

Sirius followed Remus's point but couldn't see which one he meant.

'Black, Regulus!' called Professor McGonagall at the front.

Sirius watched as Regulus went and sat on the stool beside Professor McGonagall. She dropped the Sorting Hat on his head. It fell almost completely over his eyes. After a few seconds contemplation it shouted out, 'Slytherin!'

'Well there's no surprise,' muttered Sirius. 'I knew Regulus would be in Slytherin.'

Shortly after Regulus had been Sorted, it was Jordan's turn. He walked nervously up to the platform and sat down on the stool. It took a little longer for the Sorting Hat to make its decision and he was eventually placed in Gryffindor. He smiled at Tala as he ran off towards the cheering Gryffindor table. Tala watched as he went, then faced the front again and waited her turn. She really wanted to be in Gryffindor now. Both her brother and the boy she'd met on the train were in it. She was intrigued though that the black-haired boy, Regulus she thought his name was, had been put in Slytherin.

'Lupin, Tala!' called Professor McGonagall.

Remus looked up when he heard Tala's name being called. Tala jumped slightly. Her heart suddenly raced in her chest. She approached the stool and sat down on it. She gripped the edges as Professor McGonagall put the Hat on her head. Tala gasped.

_'Gryffindor!' shouted the Sorting Hat._

A quick image flashed over Tala's closed eyes. She opened them just as the Sorting Hat shouted, 'Gryffindor!'

_What was that?_ thought Tala. She'd just seen herself be put in Gryffindor before she'd even _been_ put in Gryffindor. Weird. From his seat, Remus watched as Tala flinched when the Sorting Hat was put on her head. She'd sort of recoiled from it. Strange. After the Hat had shouted out her House, Tala remained there for a few moments, just staring vaguely into the distance.

'Tal, move,' breathed Remus. 'Come on.'

Almost as if she'd heard him, Tala got up and took off the Hat. She felt slightly dizzy. Tala went and sat next to Jordan on the Gryffindor table as the next student went up to get Sorted. Remus watched. Something was wrong with her. He hoped it was nothing bad.

'Strange,' muttered Remus to himself.

'You what?' asked James.

'Tala, she sort of recoiled when the Sorting Hat was put on her head,' said Remus.

James, Sirius and Peter all looked at the front of the Hall but Tala was already sitting with the other new Gryffindors. The next student was taking a while to be Sorted. They turned to watch while Remus, however, remained focused on Tala. He would ask her later about what happened.

The feast was as good as it always was and Professor Dumbledore's speech was as entertaining as the previous year's had been, even with the disapproving look Professor McGonagall gave him. With their stomachs full of gorgeous food, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter walked the long way back to the Gryffindor Tower, all looking forward to their nice warm beds. Ahead of them, Tala and Jordan were being led by the prefects up to the Tower. The two of them were talking excitedly about what the first year was supposed to be like.

'My brother told me he learnt all sorts of cool things during the first year,' said Tala excitedly. 'Although, he says History of Magic's a bit dull and Professor McGonagall is really strict in her lessons.'

'I'm not surprised,' said Jordan. 'Did you see how tight her hair was done up? Heaven forbid it came out of place.'

The pair of them shared a snigger, only stopping when they received a sharp look from one of the prefects. They'd reached the Tower and hadn't realised they were being told the password. It was bravery. The portrait hiding the entrance, one of a large woman aptly named the Fat Lady, swung open revealing the luxurious interior of the Gryffindor Tower. The new first years gawped at the sight of it. They filled into the common room, closely followed by the older students.

'Look how many of them there are,' said James when he'd climbed through the portrait hole. Sirius, Remus and Peter followed. 'There weren't that many of us last year.'

'There're only nine of them, James,' squeaked Peter. 'Ravenclaw's got eleven this year.'

'Still, they just seemed to bunch together,' said James. 'Makes it look like there's more of them.'

The four of them made their way over to their favourite chairs, a group of them round a table in the corner near to the fire. They sat back in them in their group and looked around, Remus looking for Tala. He caught sight of her near the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

'I'll be back in a moment,' he told the others. 'I'm just going to say hi to my sister.'

James, Sirius and Peter murmured in acknowledgement before James began an in depth retelling of the last Quidditch match his father had taken him to see and how he was going to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team for sure this year. Remus left the group and headed over to where Tala was standing with a couple other students in her year.

'This common room is amazing,' gasped Rachel Alderton. She, along with two other girls, was standing with Tala in a small group. She had short brown wavy hair and big brown eyes. A second girl called Charlotte (or Lottie) Knight nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

'I can't wait to see the dormitories,' a third blonde haired girl by the name of Lucy was saying. 'Mum said they were really nice when she was here.'

'I know,' agreed Tala. 'My brother told me there were four poster beds and everything and that the towers overlooked the grounds.'

'Are my ears burning?' Remus laughed, walking up to Tala. She spun round and saw him. Remus grinned.

'Hey, Remus,' said Tala brightly. 'Bet you didn't believe I could get into Gryffindor, did you?'

'I have to admit, I thought you'd be a Ravenclaw like Mum was,' said Remus. It was then that Remus noticed the other first year girls were watching the two of them. 'Er, don't s'pose I can have a word, Tala?'

'Sure,' she replied. Tala then turned to the other three girls and said, 'I'll see you up in the dormitory. Just need to speak to my brother.'

The other girls nodded and ran up the stairs.

'So what's up?' asked Tala.

'That's what I wanted to ask you,' said Remus. 'What happened during your Sorting? You froze.'

'I know, it was weird,' said Tala. 'When the Hat was put on my head, I got this sort of flash over my eyes. It showed the Hat saying "Gryffindor" then a few seconds later it did.'

Remus looked at Tala curiously.

'It showed you, you were going to be put in Gryffindor?'

'Yeah. What d'you think it was?'

'I don't know,' said Remus. 'It might have just been a freak bit of magic though the Sorting Hat itself doesn't have any magic. All it is, is an enchanted hat.'

'Oi, Remus, get over here! We're trying to think of a way to prank Snivellus!'

Remus and Tala glanced over at where James and the others were sitting. Being so short, Tala could only see the top of James's head as well as someone else with black hair. Remus rolled his eyes.

'Don't mind them, Tal,' muttered Remus. 'Sirius likes to prank Severus.'

'Oh yeah, the boy in Slytherin, no worries,' shrugged Tala. She turned on her heel and headed for the girl's staircase. 'As for that weird flash I got, whatever it was, it didn't last long. Probably just freak magic like you said. Oh well, I'm going to bed, Remus. Night.'

'Night.'

'It was absolutely amazing to watch,' James enthused to Sirius and Peter. 'Not as good as seeing a Wronski Feint live or anything but still pretty cool.'

'I can bet,' said Sirius. 'Still, on to more important things. How are we going to start of the school year pranking Snivellus? He's had all summer to recover so I reckon we need to hit him – Oi, Remus, get over here!' called Sirius. Remus and whoever he was talking to (Sirius couldn't see them properly) looked over at them. 'We're trying to think of a way to prank Snivellus!'

Remus turned and walked back over to the others. Though he didn't really approve of the idea, Remus listened in to the conversation as James and Sirius thought of the perfect way to prank Severus in their first lesson together of the term.

The first week of lessons for Tala and her new friends were a mixture of excitement and hard work. Remus had been right when he'd told her that Professor McGonagall worked them hard. Other lessons like Charms were quite fun though. As for the second years, the first week was based around a refresh of the previous year's work. Professor Merrythought's test in Defence Against the Dark Arts was particularly difficult. Of course, James and Sirius were taking it in their stride.

'I hope they get on to the new stuff soon,' said Sirius on the way to lunch that Thursday. 'All these tests are getting annoying.'

'They're just checking we remember what we were taught last year,' said Remus. The four of them sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to the food. 'You can forget a lot over two month's holiday.'

'Not me,' said James.

'Yeah,' agreed Sirius. 'We passed our exams last year, didn't we? Must have meant we learnt something.'

'Even with the little amount of work we did.'

James and Sirius shared a laugh. Remus rolled his eyes.

'It won't always be that simple,' he told them.

'We know, Rem,' said Sirius. 'We know.'

Further down the table from them, Tala and the other first years were sitting discussing the week's lessons so far. Both she and Jordan seemed to agree that History of Magic was a rotten subject for first years to study, closely followed by Astronomy.

'Why do we even need to study it?' asked Jordan. 'I'm not planning to be an astronomer or anything.'

'Astronomy's not boring,' said Lottie. 'Watching the stars is kind of cool if you think about it.'

'Though the getting up at midnight's a pain in the broom,' said Tala, 'and don't you deny that, Lottie. I had to wake both you and Rachel Tuesday night.'

Rachel and Lottie nodded in agreement.

'So what have we got after lunch?' asked Rachel. 'I hope it's not Transfiguration. I haven't done that extra work for McGonagall yet.'

'No, you're safe,' said Tala, getting out her timetable.

'Yeah, we've got flying lessons all afternoon,' said Lottie. 'That should be fun. I've been looking forward to learning to fly. Dad always said it was a thrill to fly at speeds twice as fast as a car.'

'Not as much as flying like a bird,' Tala muttered quietly to herself. Luckily no one heard her. 'Come on, we better go now otherwise all the decent school brooms will be gone. Remus told me there were only a handful of school ones which actually fly properly.'

The four of them quickly finished their lunch and got up to leave. As they did so, Tala got a strange feeling she was being watched. She looked up and down the table. No one was looking at them, however, about six seats away was Remus and his friends. She could see James and the round boy Peter on one side and Remus next to another boy on the other. It was him, the boy she kept seeing around the school, the black haired boy. He looked similar to the one she'd helped on the train. Tala watched him for a moment then brushed off the feeling and left with the others.

'You know,' Sirius said as the puddings appeared in front of them, 'I still haven't seen or met that sister of yours, Remus. She was put in Gryffindor and I haven't seen anyone who bares any resemblances to you.'

'I pointed her out to you during the Sorting,' said Remus.

'But I didn't see her,' said Sirius. 'I saw my brother but I didn't see her.'

'Not even when it was her turn?'

'Well, to my knowledge other people's heads are solid and not see-through,' said Sirius sarcastically. 'I'm only a second year, Remus, and –'

'I get your point, Sirius,' Remus said, cutting him off.

'Have you guys met her yet?' Sirius went on to ask James and Peter.

'Yeah, we met her on the train,' said James. 'You appeared just after she left to find some other first years. She seemed quite nice.'

'That doesn't exactly tell me anything about her,' said Sirius.

'Look, down there,' Remus pointed his fork down the table, 'see the group of first years, yeah?'

Sirius followed his point and said, 'Yeah?'

'She's the one next to the brown-haired boy.'

Sirius looked for anyone who looked like Remus. He could see the boy with brown hair then two girls on either side of him. One had brown hair, the other dark red hair. So that was Remus's sister. She didn't really look much like him at all. However, he was then distracted by the girl with dark red hair.

At first glance she looked just like another first year but when he looked at her closely, Sirius realised something. He'd seen this girl before. It had been strange. Over the course of the week, every meal time and every time he was in the Tower, Sirius had seen this girl. She had long hair that reached almost to her waist and was usually tied in a ponytail and blue eyes. She seemed to stand out in the fact she had dark red hair, like Lily Evans did in his year (although hers could only be described as flame red), and she was rather on the skinny side. It felt a bit like she was haunting him, appearing one moment, then disappearing the next. Even in the corridors or on the way to his lessons, Sirius could have sworn more than once he'd seen this girl then when he'd gone to check she'd gone.

Sirius blinked and sure enough the girl had gone. He shook his head and returned to his food.

The flying lessons for the first years were quite an experience. Madam Hooch, a woman with short iron-gray hair and yellow eyes like a hawk's, took the lesson and was similar to Professor McGonagall in teaching methods. In other words brisk and strict.

'Come along, what are you waiting for,' she barked. 'Step up to the left side of your broom, hold your hand above it and say, "Up".'

Tala, Jordan, Rachel and Lottie all did so but none of them had much success. Opposite them were the Slytherins, with whom they were sharing the hour's lesson. Regulus was amongst them and he took was not getting very far. He glanced across at the Gryffindors, in particular the girl who'd helped him on the train. He watched as her broom convulsed on the ground.

'Up,' said Tala again and again. 'Up!'

'Remember, you need to be firm with the brooms,' said Madam Hooch, pacing between the rows. 'A rider with little authority will not get far in a demanding game like Quidditch if they have little control over the broom they are riding.'

Determined, Regulus stirred himself and called firmly, 'Up!' His broom shot into his hand.

Tala looked up to see a broom shoot into its user's hand. It was the boy she'd helped on the train. He looked up and saw her so Tala smiled at him. Regulus wobbled slightly in surprise that his broom had obeyed him. When he looked up the girl from the train smiled at him. Instantly he flushed and dropped his broom.

Not many had success during their first flying lesson and so were left with homework to practice summoning brooms over the weekend before the lesson the following week. Once the lesson was over the first years were free and returned to the castle.

The few hours before dinner soon passed and at six o'clock the school began filling into the Great Hall. As usual James and Sirius were gagging for some food and were some of the first to get there with Remus and Peter following afterwards. They sat near the top of the table and stuck into the various dishes. Further down from them was Lily and Alice. They had passed Potter and his group on their way into the Hall and Lily was not impressed by his eating style.

'It's like those two don't get fed at all,' Lily was saying, eating a mouthful of Sheppard's pie. 'They really don't have stuff their faces.'

'They're boys,' Alice said simply. 'My Mum always said they took longer to mature than girls did.'

Lily and Alice shared a laughed only to be stopped when a voice asked them, 'Is this seat taken?'

It was Tala. She'd got into dinner late after attempting to finish a piece of homework which took much longer than she thought. She'd run down to the Great Hall when she realised it was gone six in the hope to find a seat with her friends but there were none available. The only one was next to Lily.

'Sure,' said Lily. 'You know, you don't need to ask. We don't mind.' Grateful, Tala sat down and helped herself to some food. 'You're one of the new first-years, aren't you?' Lily then asked.

'Yeah,' replied Tala. 'My name's Tala.'

'You know anyone?'

'I've already got some friends in my year but they came down to dinner before me. And I have an older brother. He's in the second year in Gryffindor.'

'Oh, that's my year. What's his name?' said Lily. 'I probably know him.'

'Remus, Remus Lupin.'

'Oh, you're Remus's little sister, are you?' said Alice. 'You look nothing like him. Looking at you, I would have thought you were Lily's sister.'

'Remus and I don't really look alike but we have similar personalities,' explained Tala.

'And don't compare her to Tuney, seriously,' warned Lily. 'She's changed a lot since I last saw her.'

'You have a sister?' asked Tala.

'Yeah, an older one,' replied Lily. 'We used to get on really well but sort of fell apart over the last year when I started here. She calls me a freak now because of all this.'

'That's a bit harsh.'

'Well, that's Petunia for you,' shrugged Lily. 'I know she still cares about me but I tend to keep a low profile around her with the magic stuff.'

'I'm glad Remus isn't like that,' said Tala.

'Yeah, Remus is nice from what I know about him. He just hangs around with the biggest prats on the planet,' sighed Lily, taking a dignified drink from her goblet. 'I pity you if you've met the bigger one of the two: James Potter.'

Tala looked up the table at where James sat. She had met him back at the station but from what she'd seen of him, he hardly seemed much like a prat, just a bit of a joker. The girlfriend gibe had been a bit annoying but he seemed like a nice boy otherwise.

'Yeah, I met James,' said Tala slowly, facing Lily again. 'He didn't seem like a prat when I met him on the train. He just seemed a bit of a joker if anything.'

'Well, trust me,' said Lily. 'His head is so full hot of air I'm surprised he can fly on his broomstick. His friend Sirius Black's no better. They've both got it in for a friend of mine in Slytherin.'

'You mean Severus?' Tala asked curiously.

'Yeah, how d'you know about that?' said Lily.

'Remus mentioned it to me when he wrote to me last year. He said that James and Sirius have a bit of a personal war with Severus and that he gives as good as he gets.'

'Severus defends himself but Potter and Black are definitely worse.'

Tala looked back up the table. As thought Remus and Peter were with James as well as that other black haired boy who she'd kept seeing at various times during the week. He had shaggy black hair that fell neatly just above his shoulder and was grinning about something as he spoke to James and Remus. Tala watched him curiously. There was something about him which intrigued her. Tala couldn't put her finger on it. Was this the Sirius Black she'd heard so much about?

'Thought those two would be together,' said Lily, seeing what Tala was looking at. 'You wouldn't see one without the other.'

'They can't be that bad, can they?' Tala asked. 'They're only twelve.'

'I'd keep a close watch on them if you're ever near them,' advised Lily, 'otherwise you might end up with your shoelaces tied together and your hair dyed green.'

Tala glanced up at the group. If those two were as bad as Lily said they were, then perhaps Tala should keep on guard with her own pranks if she needed them. But a little investigation was in order first. Finishing her food, Tala got up and made her way up the table.

'I'm telling you, this year I'm going to get in the Quidditch team,' said James stubbornly. 'Dad's been helping over the summer with my Quaffle skills. He reckons I'd make a good Chaser with some proper training. Tryouts are this weekend so I better get some practicing in.'

'But on to more important things,' said Sirius. 'A week's almost gone and we still haven't pranked Snivellus. We need to get him back for the Leg Locker Jinx on the train.'

'Hi!' Remus and Sirius turn in their seats and James and Peter looked up when Tala spoke. Sirius stared at her; it was the girl who'd been haunting him all week. She really was skinny and her eyes were an odd shade of blue that gave her a mysterious look but bright appearance. Tala turned to her brother. 'I thought I saw you, Remus. How're you doing?'

'I'm good, Tala. You? Do you like Hogwarts?'

'Yeah, it's brilliant,' said Tala. 'You were right, Hogwarts is great.' Tala noticed Sirius staring at her. 'Hi,' she repeated. 'We've not met before, have we? I'm Remus's sister. I started Hogwarts this year. You are?'

'Er –' Sirius cleared his throat. For some reason his voice wasn't working, nor his head for that matter. Tala raised an eyebrow at him. 'I'm –' Remus nudged him hard in the chest. 'Sirius!' he blurted. 'I'm Sirius.'

_Hmm_, thought Tala. _If this is the same Sirius Remus has told me about, he doesn't seem too cocky or anything. A bit thick maybe but …_

'I'm sure you're very serious,' Tala joked, smiling at him. Sirius gave a small laugh. 'It's nice meeting you. I'm Tala, obviously, but my brother here …' Tala bent down and wrapped her arms around Remus's neck as he cringed, placing her head on his shoulder and looking over to Sirius '… calls me Hooves. Don't ask why, he's weird like that. I would tell you why but I don't think Remus wants me to bore his friends with it.'

Sirius nodded. He was staring at her again. Tala noticed this.

'Are you OK? You seem sort of … out of it.'

'Yeah.' Sirius nodded. He couldn't work out at all why he was staring at this girl. For some reason he was too stunned to speak. 'Yeah, I'm fine,' he said in a voice he was sure wasn't his natural one.

'I've heard a lot about you,' Tala continued, standing straight. 'Remus says you're a great friend. He's told me all about the pranks you pulled last year. Perhaps someone needs to pull one on you.' Sirius looked at Tala curiously. She shrugged. 'Maybe I'll see you around some time.'

Tala gave him another smile before bending down and giving him a quick kiss on the lips and turning away. It was only a small kiss, barely a second long, but it seemed to have a huge effect on Sirius. In the short amount of time their lips were in contact with each other, a spark seemed to shoot right through Sirius. He tensed and his eyes widened. He almost didn't notice when she'd ended it. As for Tala, she hadn't completely thought through the trick; the moment their lips met, another one of those flashes went across her eyes.

_Just like I thought it would be … You know we'd be breaking the rules if I did this._

_My brother can't stop how you feel. And he can't stop me either._

_Well if you're sure ..._

_The boy moved closer to her, lifting her face with his hand and pressing his lips on to hers._

Tala broke the kiss. She and Sirius both stared at each other. She didn't even notice Remus was speaking to her.

'Haven't you got somewhere to be, Tala?' asked Remus. Tala glanced at him slightly perturbed. She quickly regained her composure. 'Or homework to do?'

'I can see I'm over-staying my welcome here,' she shrugged. 'I'll see you guys whenever.'

Her eyes drifted back to Sirius, his stare being held by hers. Tala winked at him then disappeared out of the Hall. Remus smirked and rolled his eyes at his younger sister. She just had to get one over his friends. He looked across at Sirius. He was staring at where Tala had been with his mouth still open. Remus shook his head.

'Don't mind her,' he said, spooning some desert on to his plate. 'She's always outgoing like that, doing things before she thinks, although kissing someone's a new one. Usually she just makes them think their fly is undone or something.'

'Wh-what just happened?' stuttered Sirius. He stared at the others. 'She – your little sister just kissed me?'

'It meant nothing, Sirius, believe me,' said Remus. 'Tala would never do something like that if she meant it.' Sirius, however, wasn't as convinced. 'Watch out, James, Sirius's got a crush on my sister.'

Little did he know how true that statement would become over the next few years.

* * *

**AN: hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review. and happy easter everyone! BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	10. Symptoms and Secrets

Chapter 10

Symptoms and Secrets

September soon disappeared into a warm October and autumn began to creep in. But the new season and the change in the trees wasn't the only thing that the end of September brought. School so far had been a breeze as the students settled into their lessons and the pile of homework slowly started to build up. For Remus though the end of the month meant another set of questions and another set of lies. Throughout the first year he'd managed to keep James and Sirius at bay with the questions about his disappearances but now Peter was part of their group it was just another person to lie to. Remus hated it but there was no other way. And now with Tala at Hogwarts too the lies were going to be harder to make.

'So you're going home to visit you family but Tala's staying here?' asked James. 'That doesn't make any sense.'

'Tala's only just started,' shrugged Remus. 'It's not fair on her to get behind at the start of the year.'

The inevitable conversation between the four friends had once again been struck up at dinner Tuesday night. For the past few days Remus had been getting sicker and more tired and the reactions he was getting were becoming harder to deal with, Tala especially. Whenever she saw him around school or in the Tower her eyes were take on an instant worried expression and it was all he could do to hide it from James, Sirius and Peter. As pure-bloods, Remus was particularly worried if James and Sirius found out; werewolf prejudice was common through the older wizarding families and Remus did not want to lose his closest friends.

'But you kept going home in your first year,' said Sirius. 'Why shouldn't your sister?'

Out of the two of them, Sirius was the more curious to Remus's constant absences from school. James shared the curiosity but maintain that it was Remus's business and he would tell them if he wanted to. The only reason Sirius wanted to find out what Remus was hiding was because he hated lies being kept from him. Sirius valued his friends greatly and if one was hiding something then he is not a true friend. Only one other person in Gryffindor found Remus's absences strange: Lily. Though she didn't speak to Remus on a regular basis, it was kind of hard not to notice that once a month he began to look very ill. Curious though she was, Lily made a point never to ask, no matter how much another person questioned her. Severus. It wasn't any of his business or hers.

'Mum and Dad said Tala will see Grams later,' said Remus, doing some quick thinking. He finished his food in an effort to get away. 'They want her to get settled into Hogwarts before she sees Grams. They don't want her to worry.'

'All right, Remus,' said James. 'Are you going back to the common room?'

'Yeah.' Remus got up and slung his bag on his back. 'I'll see you back there.'

'OK. Oh, one last thing, Rem,' said Sirius. Remus looked back at him. 'I thought it was your Mum who was ill?'

Sirius raised an eyebrow questioningly at Remus. He swallowed. Mistake number one: remember who it is you say is ill!

'Er …' Remus though desperately for an answer. 'Well, um –'

'Remus!'

Remus spun round to see Tala standing beside him. He thanked Merlin; Tala did always have the best timing. It was pure coincidence though that Tala had done this; she'd looked up to see James and Sirius giving Remus a bit of a hard time and had decided to interrupt.

'I need some help on my Charms homework,' said Tala. 'I can't do the Levitation Charm properly yet. Can you help me?'

A blatant lie; Remus knew full well Tala could do the Levitation Charm. He still made a mental note to thank her though.

'Sure, I'm heading back to the common room now,' he said. 'I'll see you guys later,' he added to James, Sirius and Peter. 'Come on, Tal.'

Remus and Tala left the Great Hall. Sirius turned to James.

'He's hiding something, James,' he whispered, 'you can't deny it. Remus is not telling us something.'

'What d'you mean?' asked Peter.

'Last year, Remus kept going home, remember?' Peter nodded. 'Well, he always said it was because his mum was ill. But now it's happening again and this time it's his grandmother. And it's always once a month for a few days. No more, no less. Then there's the fact that Remus himself is always looking ill at the time he goes home. Don't you think it's weird?'

'Yes, Sirius, I do think it's weird,' said James resignedly. They'd had this conversation several times the previous year. 'But it's none of our business. If Remus wanted us to know, he'd tell us, wouldn't he? We're his friends.'

'Exactly, we're his friends. But he isn't being much of one by hiding something from us.'

'Sirius, let it drop,' groaned James. 'Unless you're going to walk up to Remus and ask him straight out what's going on, then you're not going to find out what it is.'

Sirius fell silent. Though James didn't seem interested, Sirius wasn't going to let it go. He was going to find out what Remus was up to some way, somehow, he was going to learn Remus's secret.

'Merlin. Thanks, Tal. I thought I was in real trouble there.'

Remus and Tala walked together back up to the Gryffindor Tower. Tala remained silent through most of the walk, listening to Remus talk about how hard it was keeping up the lie with his friends and that he almost slipped up just now. Lying was one of the things Tala hated, just like Remus hated doing it, and having to listen to him go on about it was getting on Tala's nerves. The previous year Tala had tried to convince Remus to tell his friends but to no avail.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Remus said the password and it swung forwards to admit them. The two of them climbed through the portrait hole.

'I really thought Sirius was going to trip me up then,' repeated Remus. He took Tala's hand and helped her out the other side of the hole. The common room was empty. 'He remembered I'd said it was Mum who was ill last year and I said Grams this time.'

Remus and Tala sat down in the corner. Tala didn't face him as Remus continued.

'As for James, I'm just glad he's not as bothered. Sirius just won't let it drop though. It's like he's determined to find out I'm a were −'

'Tell them!' Tala suddenly shouted, unable to hold it. Remus looked at her, startled at her outburst. 'For Merlin's sake, Remus, just tell them!'

'Tala,' started Remus, shocked, 'I can't tell them! I've told you this a hundred times. Not everyone is accepting as you.'

'You don't know that!' Tala got out of her seat and stormed over to the girls' staircase. 'You don't know that until you try!'

Remus chased after her. He grabbed Tala's arm and pulled her back.

'Tala, listen,' Remus said, trying to keep his voice calm. 'You don't understand. It's not a condition that will be welcomed with open arms. I can't just walk up to someone, no matter if they're my friends or not, and tell them I have a monster living inside me. It's not as simple as that.'

Tala glared up at her brother. Her eyes observed every inch of him.

'You're just scared.'

'What?'

'You're scared, Remus,' repeated Tala. 'You're letting this rule your life.'

'I am not scared,' said Remus slowly. She may be his sister but Tala had crossed a line. 'You're only eleven. You don't under −'

'No, I don't,' said Tala, cutting him off. 'But I do understand when my older brother's being a coward.'

'Tala, I'm warning you!'

'Save it.'

Tala pulled her arm from Remus's grasp. She stalked off for the stairs. Remus stared after his sister. Guilt swelled in his stomach. He'd never shouted at Tala before. He sighed, shaking his head. She didn't understand. She was too young. Knowing it was better to leave it instead of going after her, Remus returned to the chair in the corner and started his homework. In a few hours he was to be leaving to "go home" and was to be taken down to the Whomping Willow. He just hoped Tala didn't try anything.

That night Tala sat on the windowsill of her dormitory looking out into the grounds. It was eleven o'clock; she'd finished her homework hours ago and all her friends were asleep, Jordan across in the boys' dormitory and Lottie and Rachel were both asleep with the hangings drawn around their beds. Tala stared up into the sky. The full moon was hidden just behind the clouds, a small slither of it shining over the grounds. That meant Remus would transform soon. He'd left a few hours ago. He didn't say a word to her before he left. The fight they'd had earlier was still fresh in Tala's mind along with other things.

Carefully so as not to wake the other three girls in her dormitory, Tala opened the latch of the window and pushed it open. She looked out of it. There was a pretty big drop from the Tower to the ground. Tala swallowed and tried not to think about it. She concentrated on a bird, any sort. An owl came to mind. She concentrated. It was the first time she'd tried to transform on her own. Slowly her bones began to twist and her pyjamas turned into feathers. It took a few moments but soon a small grey owl sat on the sill where Tala had been seconds before. Spreading her wings Tala flew out of the window.

She recalled Remus had told her that a special tree had been planted over the tunnel that took him to where he transformed. The Whomping Willow, Remus had called it. It was near the Herbology greenhouses, wasn't it? Tala flew in that direction. A great looming shadow appeared in front of her. Tala had to be careful; fly too close and she'd be hit by thrashing branches. No one was about in the grounds. Tala went into a dive and flew to the ground. She landed in the shadows of the castle nearby and returned to human form.

The Whomping Willow stood feet towering above Tala. She approached it, remaining a safe distance from it. The branches were still at that moment. Tala picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the branches. They snapped in a second; the stone was struck away, flying in the opposite direction very fast. Tala swallowed. She wouldn't want to be hit by those. It didn't look like there was any way to get near the trunk without being hit. Unless …

Tala concentrated again. This time she transformed into a mouse. Skirting round the very perimeter of the Willow's branches, Tala got to the closet point near the trunk without being hit. She braced herself. This could go very wrong. Tala made a dash for it. The branches began to lash out. Tala ran as fast as she could over the grass, her small size helping her weave in and out of the thrashing branches. She made it to the trunk. There beside a large knot of wood was a hole in the ground. A branch came at her. Tala leapt into the hole. She landed with a thump at the bottom of it and transformed back.

'Ow,' she groaned quietly. Tala got up and rubbed her arm. Her eyes widened. Ahead of her was a very long, muddy tunnel. 'I guess I better get moving.'

The walk from the base of the Whomping Willow to wherever the tunnel led to was not a short one. It seemed to take ages. Eventually the tunnel began a gentle climb. The end must be getting closer. Tala's paced quickened. All of a sudden she heard a loud howl. Tala froze. Remus must have transformed by now. It wouldn't be safe for her to approach him in human form. For the third time that night Tala concentrated and transformed, this time into a wolf. Her red hair turned grey and white and her face lengthened into a muzzle; her blue eyes turned amber and a tail grew out of her pyjamas, the rest turning to grey fur; Tala fell forwards on to her hands, now her front paws. Completely transformed Tala ran off up the tunnel.

An open trapdoor waited at the end of the tunnel. Tala pulled herself out of it. She was in a building, a wooden shack of some sort. The walls had been clawed and the furniture was all broken and splintered. Tala pushed the trapdoor closed with her muzzle. Next she put her nose to the floor to sniff for Remus. There was a strange scent, one she didn't recognise at all, lingering in the room. It was coming from upstairs. Tala followed it. The stairs creaked beneath her paws as she climbed them. A single room was at the top of them. The door was as broken as the furniture, hanging loosely on its hinges and there were panels missing from it. There were sounds coming from behind it. Tala hesitated. She'd never seen Remus as a werewolf before. She didn't know what to expect.

_Well, here goes_, she thought.

Tala padded across to the door. She raised her paw and pushed it open. The inside of the room was as destroyed as the rest of the house. A pair of yellow eyes could be seen lurking in the shadows beside the bed. Tala took a step into the room. A threatening snarl was heard. And she saw it. A wolf stalked out from behind the bed. The difference between the two was very obvious. The werewolf's size was much bigger than the wolf Tala had changed it and its teeth were razor sharp; the muzzle was also longer and more pointed; the paws were larger and claws much sharper than Tala's; the fur was also much more ragged, the tail a long tuft sweeping behind it.

The werewolf growled deeply. It approached Tala, its yellow eyes glaring at her. Tala hesitated again. She didn't dare move. The werewolf moved closer. Tala dropped to her paws as it stood over her; it took a sniff at her, smelling her fur. Even though it was Remus inside, Tala could tell it didn't recognise her. The werewolf growled a second time. Tala swallowed and remained submissive to it. Then, to her shock, the werewolf bit down on her, right on her neck. Tala couldn't help but whimper in pain, the werewolf's teeth sinking into her neck. It pushed her completely to the floor before hitting her away with its paws, the claws scratching her chest.

_Remus_, thought Tala desperately, _it's me. Please recognise me._

But it didn't; the werewolf's and Remus's minds were completely separate. The next few hours were both painful and worrying. At times the werewolf showed no interest in her. It would howl and bite and scratch itself while Tala watched, lying silently in the corner. Other moments, the werewolf would attack, biting and scratching her. The pain was immense and by the time the moon waned, Tala couldn't be more relieved. She felt so sorry for Remus having to deal with this alone and she felt so powerless to help him.

As soon as she saw the moon disappear and the sky lighten, Tala ran from the room and back down the tunnel to Hogwarts. She would get in deep trouble if she was found there. Once out of the tunnel Tala flew back up to Gryffindor Tower and back through the open window of her dorm. Tala felt very strange when she got back. She felt shivery but her forehead felt like it was on fire. Her eyes couldn't focus on anything, she felt dizzy and sick, and her head was pounding. Tala tried to ignore it. She got back into bed and pulled the covers up over her. She was shaking badly. Subconsciously she put her hand on her neck. She could feel the bite marks. Eventually she fell into a deep sleep.

Lottie, Rachel and Lucy were up by the time Rachel's alarm went at half past seven. Lucy had already gone down to breakfast while the other two finished getting dressed in their school robes. In the bed next to Lottie's, Tala was still fast asleep. Eight o'clock and breakfast was fast approaching so they thought it best to wake her.

'Come on, Tala,' said Lottie. She gently shook her shoulder. 'Breakfast starts soon. It's Wednesday. There're pancakes today.'

Tala didn't reply. The only response was a quiet moan. She turned over in her bed, pulling the covers over her.

'Tala, get up,' said Rachel. 'We have Professor McGonagall first thing. She won't be pleased if you miss her lesson.'

'I don't feel well,' mumbled Tala from beneath the covers.

'Why don't you go to the hospital wing, then?' suggested Rachel. The mound under the sheet shook its head. 'Well then if you don't feel well, stay in bed. We'll check on you later.'

The mound made another movement. Lottie and Rachel looked at it each other. It wasn't like Tala to skip school. With a worried glance, Lottie and Rachel went to meet Jordan down in the common room and they went down to breakfast.

Throughout the day Tala's condition steadily got worse. She felt like she was in a freezer in her dormitory. She'd even put a jumper on, she was so cold, and was wrapped tightly in her blanket. One touch of her forehead though and you'd see she was running a fever. Tala was also very nauseous, already having thrown up once so far. Her skin was pale and Tala could barely keep her eyes open. At lunch Lottie and Rachel had returned with some food for her but Tala said she didn't want it. Worried, the two of them went back down to the common room to find her brother.

'Are you in Remus Lupin's year?' they asked several people before they came across Lily and Alice sitting by the fireplace playing chess.

'Yeah,' said Lily. 'We're in Remus's year. Can we help?'

'Have you seen Remus anywhere?' asked Rachel.

'No,' said Alice. 'He went home yesterday but should be back around one. Why?'

'It's Tala,' said Lottie worriedly. 'She's ill and she won't eat anything.'

Alice and Lily looked at each other.

'Where is she?' asked Lily.

'Up in the dormitory.'

Lily and Alice abandoned their game of chess and followed Lottie and Rachel up to their dormitory. They showed them which one was Tala's bed. The curtains had been drawn. Lily went over to it and pulled them back. A small mass was shaking beneath the covers.

'Tala?' Lily sat down on the bed and pulled back the covers. Tala was lying there, eyes closed, facing away from her. 'Tala, are you all right?'

'S-so c-cold,' Tala mumbled. Lily placed her hand on Tala's forehead.

'Tala, you're burning up,' she gasped. She pulled the cover off her and fought to get the jumper off her in order to get some air to her skin and cool her down. Tala hunched up tighter in a ball. She began to shiver even more. Her hair cascaded back off her face when she moved, revealing the bite mark on her neck. Lily gasped again. 'Alice, Tala's been bitten by something!'

Alice joined Lily at Tala's bedside. She looked at the marks.

'Those look like werewolf bites,' Alice whispered to her. Lily stared shocked at her. 'We need to get her to the hospital wing. Come on. Lottie, Rachel, try and find Professor McGonagall.'

Lottie and Rachel nodded ran out of the room. Alice and Lily tried to get Tala to sit up. She couldn't even do that. Tala was very ill. Between them they managed to get her into a sitting position. Lily sat in front of her and picked Tala up like a piggy back. Then as quick as they could, Lily and Alice ran down the stairs to get her to the hospital wing. The common room was slowly filling up as the lunch hour continued. Several people looked in their direction. Amongst them were James and Sirius.

'Hey, what's going on?' Sirius shouted at them. They sat Tala lying unconscious on Lily's back. 'Is that Remus's sister?'

'Yes,' said Lily impatiently.

'We think she's been bitten by a werewolf,' Alice told them quietly. James and Sirius stared at them, eyes wide. 'We're getting her to the hospital wing.'

'Does Remus know?' asked James.

'Does it look like he does, Potter?' countered Lily scathingly. 'He's not here, is he? So you can make yourself useful and try and find him.'

Lily and Alice got Tala to the hospital wing as fast as they could while James and Sirius went on a search for Remus. When they got there Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts matron, took one look at Tala before floating her over to a bed and shutting it off with some curtains. Meanwhile James and Sirius eventually found Remus sitting in the library. These days his recovery after the full moon didn't take as long as it used to; a Pepper-Up Potion and some sleep during the morning was enough for him. Regardless of Madam Pince's warnings of no running in the library, James and Sirius rushed over to the table Remus was sitting at. He looked up at them in surprise. Both were panting.

'Er, hi guys, what's up?' he asked them.

'It's Tala,' panted James. 'She's been bitten.'

The moment James said that, Remus's heart stopped. He didn't need either of them to say anything more. Remus seemed to know what had happened without being told. He knew she would do this! Tala must have snuck down to the Shrieking Shack last night after he'd transformed. Although he had no recollection of it Remus was sure that was what she'd done. And now she'd been bitten. He'd done what his mother had feared he would do.

The three boys got back to the hospital wing as soon as possible. By then Lily and Alice had both gone. All the beds were empty apart from one at the far end of the room which had been partitioned off by a curtain. Remus's heart sank. That must be where Tala was. The shadow of Madam Pomfrey was visible; she was leaning over the bed performing an examination. A few minutes later she pushed back the curtain. She saw the three boys standing there. Her eyes focused on Remus.

'Ah, Mr Lupin, the person I wanted to see,' she said briskly. 'Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore are on their way down to speak to you. As for you two gentlemen,' she continued, pointing her wand at James and Sirius, 'out. This is a private matter. Come on, out!'

Madam Pomfrey shooed James and Sirius out of the hospital wing, Remus calling after them that he'd see them later. With them gone, she turned to Remus.

'I do hope you realise the seriousness of the situation, Mr Lupin,' scolded Madam Pomfrey. 'Because of your foolishness, your sister has been bitten and may now be infected with lycanthropy as well as yourself.'

'It wasn't my fault,' protested Remus. 'I didn't tell her to come with me! She must've followed me or something! I didn't want her to come!'

Madam Pomfrey gave Remus a doubtful look.

'Well, whatever the story it is,' she said, 'I'll be getting in contact with your parents as soon as Professor Dumbledore has spoken to you. We'll only know the full extent of Miss Lupin's infection when I get her blood test back. Until then, I hope you will realise what you've done.'

Remus insisted it wasn't his fault but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't listen. She swept off into her office and shut the door leaving Remus alone in the hospital wing. Remus looked across at the bed. Tala was lying there. Her skin was chalk-white and her breathing was raspy. Slowly he approached the bed and sat down on a chair beside it. He took Tala's hand. Her skin was so hot it was like touching fire. He recognised the symptoms from himself; he'd suffered the same when he was first bitten, when he was first infected. No! He mustn't think that. Tala couldn't be infected with the lycanthropy too! Remus would never forgive himself if he'd sentenced Tala to the same life as his.

Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore appeared in the hospital wing half an hour or so after James, Sirius and Remus had got there. Remus looked up from his seat next to Tala's bed when they entered. Professor McGonagall's stern look fell upon him as she walked into Madam Pomfrey's office while Professor Dumbledore's eyes remained firmly away from him. Remus's guilt increased. The office door closed behind them. After an agonising few minutes the three adults came out of the office. Madam Pomfrey had a sheet of parchment in her hands.

'How is she, Poppy?' asked Professor McGonagall.

'She's showing all the symptoms of having been bitten by a werewolf,' said Madam Pomfrey. She was looking down the parchment in her hand. Remus's heart sank. 'A high fever, nausea, dilated pupils, everything points towards her being infected with lycanthropy …'

'I am sensing a "but",' said Professor Dumbledore slowly. He looked at Madam Pomfrey, his blue eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles.

'But, her blood tests have come back completely normal,' said Madam Pomfrey. Remus started; he stared at the Professors and matron, amazed. 'It's a miracle. There is no infection whatsoever yet she has the bite and scratch marks and symptoms to show she had been attacked by a werewolf. They're completely normal.'

Remus's heart was racing. Tala wasn't infected with the lycanthropy? She – she wasn't doomed to be a werewolf?

'It is unheard of,' finished Madam Pomfrey, 'but Miss Lupin is exceedingly lucky.'

'Indeed,' said Professor McGonagall. 'But that doesn't answer the question why she got bitten in the first place.' She turned and faced Remus. He shrank back in his seat. 'Mr Lupin. Perhaps you can enlighten us?'

Remus swallowed and was about to reply when Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

'I will deal with the situation, Minerva,' he said lightly. 'As Headmaster of the school, I will examine the situation and see if there are any improvements to Mr Lupin's security that need to be made. Mr Lupin.'

Professor Dumbledore gestured to Remus to follow him. They left the hospital wing and proceeded in silence to Professor Dumbledore's office. He indicated a seat in front of his desk for Remus then sat in his own opposite. Calmly he asked Remus to recall the events as best he could. Remus did so. He told Professor Dumbledore all he could, about his fight with Tala earlier that day, his journey to the Shrieking Shack and his transformation, waking up in the hospital wing that morning. But as he retold it, bits started to come back to him. Someone else had been in the Shack with him, another … animal …

'I … I remember sniffing something,' said Remus slowly as he remembered. The memories were only vague but they seemed to tell him something. 'The taste of blood in my mouth. Something else whimpering … I remember fighting with something, not just myself for once. Something else was there.'

If there had been any doubt beforehand in Remus's mind it was no longer there. He was certain Tala had snuck down to the Shrieking Shack to see him but transformed into an animal in order to be with him.

'Madam Pomfrey tells me that you believe Miss Lupin followed you on her accord,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'Why do you believe this?'

'Because I know Tala,' said Remus. 'She found out what I was and got this idea in her head that she could help me. She thought that because she's a –'

Remus stopped. Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrow. Remus bowed his head and looked away from the Headmaster.

'Very well,' continued Dumbledore briskly. He picked up his wand and conjured a quill and some parchment. 'If you have nothing more to say then you may leave. I must write to your parents informing them of what has happened to Miss Lupin and ask why she thought she could help you.'

'No!' burst Remus. He stared horrified at Dumbledore. The older man looked down at his student with a quizzical look on his face. Remus blushed because of his outburst. 'Don't write to Mum and Dad, please. They'll – they'll separate us again.'

'Now why would they do that?' asked Dumbledore.

'Because I bit Tala. We were separated before to stop this from happening. If Mum finds out I've bitten her, she'll take Tala and leave again. Please don't write to my parents.'

'Mr Lupin, I have to inform your family of your sister's injuries. Is there someone else I can speak to?'

Remus thought for a moment, then said, 'Yes, my grandma.'

Pippa Hallow (also known as Grams to Tala and Remus) arrived at the school as soon as she received Professor Dumbledore's message. She went straight to the hospital wing where Remus and the Headmaster were waiting. Remus instantly ran over to her as she asked what was going on. Professor Dumbledore explained what had happened and about Tala's injuries and miraculous state. An unsurprised looked appeared on Pippa's face as she nodded in understanding.

'Yes, I can answer that,' replied Pippa quietly. She sent Remus to sit with Tala so she could speak with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall alone. 'Tala inherited the Feramorph or "rare" Animagus gene that I myself have after it skipped a generation. It makes her immune to the werewolf venom because of her DNA already being combined with an animal's. However, from what you've told me, she isn't resistant to the illness that comes with it. I guess, unlike a proper Animagus whose animal-self is obtained and not completely joined with human genes, if she is bitten in animal form she'll still suffer the symptoms in human form though she won't be infected while they suffer no symptoms at all.'

'Well, that is good to know,' said Professor McGonagall. 'I just hope none of the students who found her know what she'd been bitten by. The last thing we need is a student panic about werewolves.'

'Indeed,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'Now, if you'll excuse us, Professor McGonagall and I have some business to attend to. We'll leave you and Mr Lupin alone.'

With that the two professors left the hospital wing, leaving Remus and his grandma with Tala.

Tala's recovery was remarkable. The very next day her fever had cleared up and it was like she was never sick. She was her normal self thanks to the Animagus gene in her. If it wasn't for that, then she too would have the same life ahead of as Remus does. As for the bites and scratches she'd sustained, a drop of dittany on each and they healed without a scar. Tala was released from the hospital wing in time for the start of lessons the next day. Lottie and Rachel were so relieved to see her and had enveloped her in tight hugs when they saw her at Charms that morning. They were so glad there had been nothing desperately wrong with Tala. James, Sirius, Lily and Alice were also glad to see Tala had made such a speedy recovery though none of them could understand it.

'I mean, those were definitely werewolf bites,' said Alice. It was the Thursday after Tala's incident. They were sitting in their dormitory talking. 'My Dad works in the Beast Department of the Ministry of Magic. He taught me how to recognise different markings and stuff like that.'

'But if those were werewolf bites,' said Lily.

'Then doesn't that mean Tala's a –?'

'– a werewolf,' said Sirius, answering Peter's question. He let out a squeak. The three of them were in their favourite chairs in the common room. They'd made sure Remus wasn't in earshot of them. 'It all fits. Remus goes home once every month for a few days. It's always because of an illness in the family. He went home to visit his sister. Because Tala's a werewolf.'

'Alice, there's no way Tala or Remus could be werewolves,' said Lily. She couldn't believe. A couple of people as nice as them afflicted with something as terrible as that. 'From what you've said, one, Tala recovered too quickly for someone infected with that, and two, Remus went home to see his grandma and Tala didn't go with him. If he was the werewolf than how could he have bitten Tala? It's just not possible.'

'I don't like it any more than you do, Lily,' said Alice. 'Remus and Tala are really nice people. But we can't deny it. Those two are hiding something.'

Lily wouldn't believe it and Alice didn't want to either. However, downstairs …

'That's a good theory and all, Sirius,' said James, 'but there's one floor in your great conclusion.'

Peter and Sirius looked at James.

'What?' he asked.

'If Tala's a werewolf, why is it that Remus still went home this month and Tala didn't?' said James. Sirius was about to argue his point when he realised James was right. He sighed frustrated at his mistake. 'But I still think you're on to something.'

'You do?' said Sirius.

'Yeah, I do,' said James. He thought for a moment, then said, 'Being bitten by a werewolf is not something you recover from straight away like that. Tala's recovery was much too fast. Plus, like I said, it's Remus who goes home every month to "visit" his family and he's the one who looks like he's going to pass out every so often.'

'What are you saying?'

'I'm saying they're both hiding something.' James looked around the common room to makes sure no one was listening to them. He then leaned in close to them. 'And I have a way to find out. Come with me.'

James got up and headed up the boys' staircase. Sirius and Peter followed. He led them into their dormitory and went over to his trunk. James pulled the lid open and began to search inside it. He pushed aside his clothes and books until he felt a water-like substance pass across his fingers. Grasping it, James pulled a long silvery piece of material out of his trunk. His father's Invisibility Cloak. Sirius stared at it in awe. Peter just stared at it.

'What is it?' he asked.

'Watch,' said James. 'Now you see me …' James swung the Cloak around him. Peter gasped. 'Now you don't.'

'James, that is _so_ cool!' gushed Sirius excitedly. James pulled the Cloak off, grinning. Sirius grabbed it from him. 'Why didn't you tell me about this before? We could play so many pranks on Snivellus with it!'

'I was waiting for a special occasion,' James shrugged. 'I can't say I haven't been tempted to use it on old Snivey already but Dad told me to not use it too often in case it got found. Invisibility Cloaks are really rare and this one's been in the Potter family for generations. But seeing as some sneaking needs to be done, I think this is the perfect opportunity to test it out.'

'James,' Sirius put his hand on his friend's shoulder, 'if I haven't said this before, I'm saying it now. You bloody genius!'

The rest of the night James, Sirius and a not-so-keen Peter plotted how to discover Remus's secret, the end result being on James and Sirius would follow him the next time he had to "disappear".

Through the time these two separate conversations had been going on, Remus and Tala had been having a rather heated conversation of their own. When Remus had seen Tala leaving dinner with her friend Jordan from her year, Remus got up and followed her. When they were out of the Hall, Remus pulled Tala away from her friend and into an empty passageway on the second floor.

'What were you thinking?' Remus scolded, pacing angrily in front of Tala as she leant against the corridor wall. 'You snuck out and got into the Shrieking Shack when you knew perfectly well it'd be dangerous! How did you even get pass the Whomping Willow? That thing's lethal if you go anywhere near it!'

'I transformed into a mouse,' said Tala. 'I got passed the branches that way.'

'Tala!' Remus finally stopped pacing and faced Tala. 'Grams told you! You not allowed to transform at school! If you get caught you'll probably end up in some testing lab in the Ministry! Like some – er –' Remus tried to remember what their father had told him, '– lab rat!'

'Remus, take a Cheering Charm,' sighed Tala. 'No one saw me. Lottie and Rachel were both –'

'That's not the point!' snapped Remus. 'You transformed and snuck down into the Shrieking Shack when you knew it'd be dangerous! I bit you, for Merlin's sake! I attacked you! You could have ended up in the same situation as me, with the same life ahead of you, all because you didn't think before you acted!'

'Well pardon me for trying to help my brother!' screamed Tala.

Tala turned and ran back to the Tower in tears leaving Remus standing in the corridor with his own guilt.

Tala didn't speak to Remus again for the next week. Each time he saw her in the common room she'd ignore him and talk with her friends; at meal times Tala sat down the other end of the Gryffindor table away from Remus and the others; and if they passed each other in the corridor, whenever Remus tried to talk to her, Tala walked off in the other direction even if it meant she turned up late for her lesson. In her view, Remus couldn't see how much he'd hurt her feelings when all she had tried to do was give him some company. The truth was Remus did see it. He hadn't realised until after that conversation how his condition had really affected his little sister.

All Tala was trying to do was help him, to keep him company. She was the only one who really could. A werewolf's venom wasn't poisonous to an animal, only to humans. As Grams had explained to him after Dumbledore had left, Tala only felt the effects of the venom because of her genes being combined with the Animagus gene. The venom caused her to feel the symptoms but the Animagus gene fought it off. If she was a normal Animagus then she wouldn't have felt anything. Because of her being an Animagus, she was protected if he ever bit her. She could help him! But still the thought of Remus hurting her dissuaded him from ever asking her to come with him again. Of course, Tala being Tala, Remus's scolding didn't dissuade her.

The next month slowly disappeared and the next full moon was approaching. As usual, Remus felt the effects of it the few days leading up to it, slowly getting worse. When the day came Remus got through it without any questions from his friends, only when he was leaving. He told them the usual time and James and Sirius left it at that. Sure enough though, they had their own plans for that night. Remus also avoided any more arguments with Tala. The day passed with a serious of looks and silences between the siblings. Every so often Remus would catch Tala watching him then turning away and carrying on with whatever she was doing. And if it wasn't that, it was the other way round, Remus watching her hoping she wasn't planning on anything.

'I've still got some work to do,' he overheard Tala say to her friends that night. It was already getting late and most of the younger students had all gone to bed. 'I have to finish the essay on the other side of the moon for Professor Sinistra.'

'Don't stay up too late, Tala,' laughed Lottie. 'Night.' and her two friends went up to bed.

The rest of the students began to leave the common room. James, Sirius and Peter left around ten o'clock, saying goodbye to Remus until Saturday afternoon. Time ticked away slowly until Remus was due to leave. He tried to read his Charms textbook but his eyelids were getting heavy and he was beginning to droop. The clock in the common room struck eleven, causing Remus to jerk awake again in his seat. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, sighing.

Remus looked up tiredly from his book. Tala was fast asleep in the chair she'd been sitting in when she was doing her homework. Remus sighed again. It wasn't fair on her, she shouldn't have to suffer because of him but when she had an idea in her head it was hard to make her change her mind. Tala would do anything to help him. And, truth be told, that was the one thing Remus would never change about her.

Remus let out a long sigh and hauled himself out of the chair. He had a massive headache and really didn't feel like a long walk but he had to do so or the rest of the house could be in danger. Remus walked over to where Tala was asleep and gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes flickered a bit then opened fully to look at him.

'What time is it?' she asked him.

'Time,' said Remus simply. She knew what he meant.

Tala got off the sofa and brushed down her robes. She was about to turn out of the common room but Remus put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

'Tala, please, you don't have to do this,' said Remus seriously. 'I managed through last year, I can manage again.'

'But what if you got out?' Tala asked him. Remus let out an uncomfortable noise. It was a thought that had occurred to him many times. 'Least if I'm there, I can stop you. And when you calm down, I can keep you company and be there for you –'

'Tala,' Remus sighed heavily and angrily. He put up his hand to stop her. 'The reason why Mum split us up was so you wouldn't get hurt and you did. I bit you. I could never live with myself if I killed –'

'Remus,' protested Tala, cutting him off. 'I don't care. I'm protected from the venom so why should you? Why don't you understand that? I just want to help you.'

'I know you do. But if Mum knew what you were doing, she'd kill me for putting your life in danger. You're not strong enough to fight me. I've seen what I can do.'

'I'm not scared. Just give me a chance and I'll prove it to you.'

Remus looked at his sister. He admired her bravery and her loyalty towards him. She wasn't scared of him even though he was a werewolf. Remus just wished other people wouldn't show prejudice towards his … _condition._ Eventually, Remus gave Tala a weak smile.

'Come on then,' he sighed. 'Before the moon's out from behind the clouds.'

Tala smiled broadly at him and gave him a tight hug. Remus winced slightly but returned it nonetheless, holding his sister close. Next the two of them then grabbed their cloaks and walked out of the portrait hole.

Just hidden behind the corner, James and Sirius had been watching the two of them. They had heard all of what had been said and were giving each other very curious looks. Remus and Tala were both hiding something?

'What on earth was that about?' Sirius asked openly to James.

'I don't know,' he said thoughtfully. 'But we're going to find out.' From under his cloak, James drew out a long silvery cloak: the Invisibility Cloak. 'Ready to see what Remus and Tala are hiding?'

Sirius nodded impatiently. Getting off the stairs, James threw the Cloak around the two of them. They vanished into the room then headed out of the of the portrait hole. They walked at a fast speed to catch up with the other two Gryffindors then followed silently behind them at a safe distance so they wouldn't be heard. They found it curious that neither had a bag with them. If they were going home, why didn't they have any stuff?

When they reached the Entrance Hall, Remus checked to see if Tala still wanted to go through with it. She did. Remus smiled and pulled open the door. They quickly walked out of the Entrance Hall. Once outside, Tala closed her eyes and transformed into a mouse. She ran off in the direction of the Whomping Willow, Remus following. Behind them an invisible James and Sirius had managed to sneak out of the main doors before they had closed. They followed Remus as he went round the castle the way they went when they were heading for Herbology.

'Where d'you s'pose he's going?' whispered James. 'And where's his sister gone?'

Sirius looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. James glanced ahead. Remus had come to a stop beneath the Whomping Willow. Next moment he was walking towards the base of it. Not a single branch was trying to strike him. James and Sirius watched in amazement.

'Why isn't it attacking him?'

James and Sirius ran carefully after Remus just in time to see him disappear into the ground beneath the frozen tree. As they approached it they could make out a dark shape at the foot of it. There was a hole in the ground. A loud threatening creak sounded above them. James and Sirius looked up. The branches of the Willow were twitching; the tree was unfreezing.

'Run!' yelled Sirius.

Forgetting about the Cloak for a second, James and Sirius ran for it from where they were and dived headfirst into the hole that was in amongst the roots of the tree. James landed with a thump on the hard ground, Sirius landing on top of him. They could hear the violent thrashing of the branches above them. When they looked up, they saw a long tunnel ahead of them. James and Sirius just looked at one another, grinning somewhat at their discovery, but also still wondering what their friend was up to. They could hear Remus's footsteps ahead of them. Getting up they followed him still hidden under the Cloak.

Remus looked around the small room. He'd reached the Shrieking Shack and had gone up the broken staircase to the top room. Inside it was a broken bed and a window looking out towards Hogsmeade. The curtains were torn and there were scratches all over the walls from his previous transformations and rampages. The wardrobe in the corner looked exactly the same. When he got there Remus saw Tala waiting for him, sitting obediently by the bed as a black dog. He smiled and sat down beside her, gently stroking her head.

James and Sirius watched as Remus walked into a room at the top of the house. They silently snuck in behind him. He seemed to look around the room before seeing a dog sitting by a bed. He went over and stroked it. Sirius and James glanced at each other with looks of equal curiosity.

'What's a dog doing here?' asked Sirius. 'And where's Tala?'

James just shrugged and said, 'Who knows but Remus seems to know it. And Merlin knows where Tala's gone.' He glanced at Remus. He was staring out the window. 'Come on. Let's hide in the wardrobe.'

James and Sirius crept over to the broken wardrobe and hid inside it. Remus heard a creak over near the wardrobe. He looked at it. There was nothing there. It was just the sounds the house was making. Suddenly though, he froze. The moon had just appeared from out behind a cloud and was shinning down into the room.

'Go,' muttered Remus to Tala. 'Go, now!'

Remus let out a pained yell as his body started to shake. But then, his mind blacked out.

Over in the cupboard, James and Sirius watched as Remus stood frozen in the room, bathed in a glow of moonlight. Then, all of a sudden, he began to shake and yell in pain. His body and head were beginning to lengthen as his hands turned to clawed paws. His shoulders hunched, ripping the clothes off his back, and his feet grew out of his shoes. He then let out a terrible howl and yellow eyes glared towards the dog. James and Sirius couldn't believe their eyes.

'Merlin …' breathed James. 'Remus is a werewolf.'

Tala got to her paws and watched Remus anxiously as he shouted out and began to shake. She'd never seen him transform before. As she watched, she stood her ground but when the fully-grown werewolf stood in front of her, for the first time she felt fear of her brother. Tala slowly backed away only to be slashed over the face by one of its clawed paws.

James and Sirius saw the dog back away before receiving a swipe around the face. As the werewolf reared and snarled at it again then lunged forwards at the dog. The two were locked together, scratching and biting each other. James and Sirius just watched as their friend, the kind natured Remus Lupin, threw the weaker animal around the room mercilessly. The dog was batted against the wall again and again; in a matter of minutes there were cuts over its legs, face and body, blood leaking from them. However, it didn't give up and it growled and fought back. Determined as ever Tala continued to fight her brother, knowing it wasn't him doing this but the werewolf.

It wasn't until three in the morning that the fighting stopped. James and Sirius had taken turns on keeping an eye on Remus and the dog. Right now, James was on watch. The moon had finally waned and the werewolf transformed back into Remus. He was covered in scratches and stood shakily on his feet. He seemed to glance around at the destruction before finally collapsing down on the mattress of the bed which had been pulled half on to the floor. James sighed, feeling both annoyance at Remus for not telling them but all sympathy for him having to put up with it alone. In the corner James saw the dog lying on the ground, panting. It was in a bad state from the fight.

Tala was exhausted from the fight. Her entire body was in pain and she had a bad scratch crossing over her face. She lay on the floor panting from exhaustion. The light began to fade in the room as the moon waned. Tala looked up to see her brother was back to normal. She watched as he changed back and collapse on the ground. Tala let out a short moan of sorrow before getting to her paws and padding softly over to him. She lay down beside him and lifted his arm to put her head under it, gently licking his cheek in comfort. After a few minutes, Tala fell asleep beside him.

With both Remus and the dog asleep, James slid down the side of the wardrobe next to Sirius. He had been asleep for the last hour or so. With a last glance at his friend, James shut his eyes and he too fell asleep.

James was woken the next morning in the wardrobe by the sun coming up in the distance. It was pouring through the curtain-less window on to where Remus and the dog lay asleep on the mattress. James shook Sirius awake and pointed out of the door.

'Do you think we should wake him?' Sirius asked quietly.

'Yeah, then we can tell him we know,' replied James. He was about to get out the wardrobe when Sirius held him back.

'Are you sure that's wise?' he asked. 'I mean, Remus is a werewolf. You saw what he did to the dog.'

'We're his friends,' said James. He glanced back at Remus. 'He needs us. No one else would accept him if they knew.'

'But still …'

'Sirius, are you Remus's friend or not?' asked James straight out.

'Of course, I am,' said Sirius. 'But he lied to us –'

'And for good reason,' said James. 'If you were in his shoes, would you have told me that you were a werewolf?' Sirius remained silent as he thought it through, then shook his head. 'Do you really blame him?'

'No.'

'So are you going to help him?'

Another moment, then Sirius replied, 'Of course.'

James got out of the wardrobe. Sirius followed. They walked across the floor and stood over Remus. James bent down and gently shook Remus's shoulder to wake him. However, it wasn't him who stirred. Tala felt James move Remus and opened her eyes. Her instinct to protect Remus kicked in and she jumped to her feet. James and Sirius backed away slightly as the dog leapt up, standing protectively over Remus. Its hackles were raised as it growled at them. It was that that woke him. Remus opened his eyes to see his sister growling at something before he saw what at.

'James,' gasped Remus nervously. He shifted back from them on the floor. 'Sirius. What are you doing here?'

'We're here for you, mate,' said James cheerfully. He bent down and placed his hand on Remus's shoulder. He instantly pulled it away again when Tala growled at him. 'Bit messed up, aren't you?'

'How come you didn't tell us you were a werewolf?' asked Sirius. Remus swallowed. Tala growl again. 'You didn't think we'd ditch you, did you?'

Remus swallowed and nodded, ashamed of himself.

'I thought you wouldn't want to be my friends anymore,' he said. Remus glanced down at Tala and stroked her ear. 'Only my sister understood having suffered prejudice herself.'

'Tala?' said James.

Tala cleared her mind and transformed back to her human form. James and Sirius's eyes widened when they saw the dog transform to reveal Remus's younger sister. She had scratches all over her.

'Yeah me, I'm an Animagus,' she said defensively. Tala glared at James and Sirius, daring either of them to say something about it. 'One that can change into anything. I was always a freak to those who were around me.'

'You're not a freak,' said Remus sternly. He turned to her and looked up and down her. 'Look what I've done to you,' he mumbled. 'I'm so sorry. I don't care what you say. You're never to do that again.'

'Remus, you need people to help you,' said Tala. 'I can help you.'

'And we'll help you,' said James, putting his arm round Remus's shoulders. 'Somehow, someway, we'll help you, right, Sirius?'

'Right,' agreed Sirius with a nod of finality.

* * *

**AN: hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave a review. cheers. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	11. Plans and Pranks

Chapter 11

Plans and Pranks

Between the three of them, James, Sirius and Tala got Remus back up to the school. He leant heavily on their shoulders; Remus looked between the two, glad to have his friends by his side. They walked slowly as all of them were shattered from the previous night. Tala followed, her eyes not leaving the two other boys. They left Remus at the hospital wing door so he could go in alone and recover over the rest of the weekend then returned to the Gryffindor Tower. The common room was empty but it wouldn't be for long. James looked at his watch. It was getting close to seven o'clock.

'We better get into our dormitories before the others wake up,' he muttered. 'Better hide those robes as well, Tala, until you can get them fixed,' James then added, looking across at her. 'Don't want anyone thinking you've been ravaged by a monster a second month in a row.'

'Don't call my brother a monster!' snapped Tala instantly. James and Sirius recoiled slightly at her tone.

'Tala, we weren't meaning Remus,' Sirius told her. 'We just meant –'

'I know what you meant!' Tala interrupted harshly. She gave the two boys a look of deep mistrust. 'I know what you pure-blood wizards are like. You're all the same. Always shunning those who are different. Classing us as beasts.'

'Remus is not a beast,' said James. 'And neither are you.'

'It doesn't change who you are,' added Sirius.

'Like I'm going to believe what you say, Black,' snapped Tala. Sirius jumped. 'My Dad's told me all about your family. Your father's one of those pure-blood elitists, always trying to stop half-bloods and Muggle-borns from getting jobs in the Ministry. He'd probably rather snap his wand than associate with anyone like us and I bet you're no different.'

'Hey!' objected Sirius. 'That's not true! I'm nothing like my family!'

'Whatever.'

Tala gave him one last glare then turned on her heel to the girls' staircase. Her dark red hair whipped behind her, as fierce as her temper was. She then stopped and looked back at them over her shoulder.

'You dare breathe a word about either mine or Remus's secrets then you'll see what tricks a Lupin can really pull.'

Tala ran up the girls' staircase, the end of her torn robes flicking round the corner. James and Sirius shared a look.

'She's really protective of Remus, isn't she?' said Sirius.

'I think anyone would be in her situation,' said James. They started to climb the boys' staircase. James lowered his voice as they reached the second year dormitory. 'It must be pretty hard to deal with knowing something like that. And being what she is as well.'

'Still, she doesn't think we'll tell anyone, does she? I mean, Peter already knows as much as we do. All we did last night was confirm it. We wouldn't tell anyone else. Besides, we're all Remus's friends. He won't mind if we tell Peter what we know.'

Quietly and carefully Sirius pushed the door to their dormitory open. Frank and Peter were both still asleep in their beds. They crept inside and started to change from their pyjamas into some clean robes.

'We better leave that to Remus,' said James. He pulled his head through his t-shirt, his hair messed even more when he surfaced. 'He was shocked enough to see us there this morning. We'll deal with it when Remus is up to it.'

Remus didn't come back from the hospital wing until late Monday. He appeared in the middle of their History of Magic lessons after lunch. He apologised for his late arrival, Professor Binns muttering, 'Oh, yes, yes, just take your seat, Leyton.' and waving his see-through hand vaguely behind him. James and Sirius watched as he sat down in the desk opposite them next to Frank; Remus looked back at them but remained silent, sitting down and getting out his book to do his work.

The rest of the day passed with the same looks and silence. Not once in any of their lessons did Remus speak to them nor was he about at break time or lunch, instead hiding himself away in the library. He wouldn't even talk to his sister, the only person who could understand. He felt ashamed of himself. His friends had found out what he was as well as his sister's secret and it would only be a matter of time until he was shunned by the rest of his year. _So why not just get it over and done with?_ he thought to himself dismally, staring out of the window of the library into the grounds. He'd rather be alone by his decision instead of waiting for everyone else to scorn him.

At six o'clock as usual the school flooded into the Great Hall for dinner. James, Sirius and Peter sat together about halfway down, a seat saved beside James for Remus when he got there. Further down from them sat Tala and her friends. They were all looking towards the doors for Remus. As the last few students entered, among them was the shy mousy-haired boy they were looking for. Remus looked around the Hall feeling as if everyone's eyes were on him though none were paying him any attention. When they fell on the Gryffindor table he saw James and Sirius watching him. There was a free seat beside James. Sirius even waved over to him to gain his attention but Remus ignored it. Instead he sat in the furthest away from them he could find at the end of the table, away from his friends.

James and Sirius shared a look whilst Peter remained unaware. They hadn't told him yet what they'd found out. Why wouldn't Remus talk to them? Was he that ashamed of what happened? Of what he was? They both knew werewolves tended to get a bad image whenever they were mentioned in the _Daily Prophet_ but this was Remus Lupin. He was the shyest, quietest, and the nicest kid in their year. He never picked fights or anything. If anything, both James and Sirius felt sorry for him having to deal with this and they weren't about to abandon their friend at the flick of a wand.

'D'you think we should go talk to him?' whispered Sirius. James looked back at Remus. He wasn't eating anything, merely pushing his food around on his plate.

'Not here,' said James. 'Wait until we're back in the dormitory. Besides, I've got my second Quidditch tryout after dinner. We'll do it as soon as I get back when we can catch him on his own.' The two watched as Remus got up and left the table. He walked silently out of the Hall. 'I don't somehow think Remus will be up for the crowded common room tonight.'

Further down from them sat Tala with Jordan eating their dinner. She wasn't listening to the conversation Jordan was having with her. Her only response was a vague nod or murmur in agreement. Tala's attention was focused on Remus. He'd come into the Great Hall and sat at the far end of the table on his own. Just up from her Tala saw Potter and Black watching him too. She glared at the back of their heads. Both of them knew what she and Remus were. It would be a matter of time before the whole school knew. That was the last thing Tala wanted for her brother, to be shunned even more.

'I can't believe how much work Professor Slughorn's set us,' said Jordan beside her. 'A whole twelve inch essay. We're only first years!'

'Yeah,' muttered Tala. 'Twelve inches.'

Tala looked down at her arm and pushed back the sleeve. There were four long scratches going across the length it, all still raw and fresh from the previous night. Not quite twelve inches but certainly long enough to be noticeable. Jordan looked across at Tala.

'What is wrong with you today?' he asked. 'You've been day-dreaming all day.' He followed Tala's eyes to see what she was looking at. 'Geeze, Tala!' he gasped, seeing the scars. Tala tried to hide them again but Jordan had grabbed her wrist to get a closer look. 'Where the hell d'you get those?' he asked.

'They're nothing,' said Tala. She pulled her wrist from Jordan's grip and covered it with the sleeve of her robe. 'They're just a couple of scratches. Swish dug his talons in a bit harder than usual the other day, that's all.'

'Owl talons don't leave marks that deep.'

'Well that's where I got them.'

'Tala, that's impossible.'

'Jordan, leave it, OK? They're fine.'

'Look, this is the second time in two months I've seen you with scratches on your arms. What's going on?'

'Jordan, just leave it!' snapped Tala. Jordan stared at her, surprised by her outburst. It was very unlike her. Tala was normally quite a calm girl but when her brother's secret was in jeopardy of being discovered, she'd suddenly become very defensive as seen that morning. Tala saw Jordan's reaction. She sighed. 'I'm sorry, Jordan. It's just … I've got a bit going on at the moment.'

'Like what?' asked Jordan. Tala looked at Jordan warily. She glanced back up the table in time to see Remus get up and walk out the Hall. 'A problem shared is a problem halved.'

'What?'

'It's a Muggle phrase.'

'Whatever it is, this problem is not one that can be halved,' sighed Tala. She put down her spoon. 'I'm going back to the common room. I'll see you later.'

The walk back to the Tower seemed even longer for Remus this evening. He was still shattered somewhat from the previous night. Add to that the thoughts going through his head, Remus was both physically and mentally exhausted. He climbed the stairs to the seventh floor in silence, lost in his thoughts. He didn't even realise he'd reached the portrait of the Fat Lady until he heard her clear her throat and ask, '_Password_?' in a stern voice.

'Oh, sorry,' said Remus. 'Er, _bravery_.'

'Correct,' said the portrait and she admitted him into the Tower.

The common room was empty. Everyone was still at dinner. It would be a matter of minutes before it became flooded with students talking, laughing with their friends, and doing their homework. That was something, Remus had a lot of homework to do and with the headache he had, he didn't particularly want to be in a noisy room while trying to do it. In all truth, Remus didn't want to risk seeing James or Sirius. It had been easy enough to avoid talking to them in class by sitting with Frank but he wouldn't be able to avoid them and their inevitable questions about his "condition".

Remus sighed. How on earth did they find out? He couldn't recall hearing or seeing them at all on his way down to the Whomping Willow so how could they have followed him? And where had they been hiding in the Shrieking Shack. Surely the werewolf would have picked up their scent? Remus couldn't fathom it. Waking up to see them standing there was not exactly what Remus would call reassuring; even what they said to him did not give him much confidence that his secret was safe. They managed to find out. What was to say other students could do so too?

A sound outside the common room started. Remus looked behind him at the portrait hole. The other students were returning from dinner. Quickly Remus hurried up the boys' staircase to his dormitory as the portrait opened to admit the students. Listening from his door Remus could hear the students flooding inside. It pounded in his head so he closed the door. He walked over to his bed and collapsed on top of it, pulling the hangings round it shut. He wasn't going to attempt any homework tonight. Remus lay back on his bed with his head on his pillow. He closed his eyes to try and block out his thoughts but they wouldn't stop. People pointing at him in the corridors; people calling out names at him and taunting him; his classmates and Housemates staring and whispering at him.

'Get out of my head,' Remus groaned. He placed his hands over his ears to stop the voices. 'Get out of my head!'

'Remus?'

Remus jumped and sat up. He yanked back the curtains to reveal Tala standing beside his bed. His heart was thumping in his chest, his eyes wide from fear that someone had heard him. Tala jumped slightly at the wild look in her brother's eyes. The sight of her had caught Remus unawares.

'Sorry,' he breathed, 'I didn't mean to scare you, Tala. I thought you were someone else.'

'I just wanted to see if you were all right,' said Tala nervously. 'You looked so lonely at dinner.'

Remus looked at Tala. She was still so concerned for him regardless of that fact that her secret was known too. It gave Remus a slight reassurance that he wasn't completely alone.

'No, it's fine,' said Remus, forcing a smile.

'Please don't lie to me, Remus,' said Tala. 'I know you're not fine. I blew everything for you. I followed you and got bitten and people saw my symptoms which made them suspicious and –'

Remus stopped her.

'Tal, it's not your fault,' he said bracingly. Remus took her hand and pulled her on to his bed. He then pulled the curtains shut again so they had some privacy. Tala sat in front of Remus, his arms wrapped round her to hold her close. She was his only comfort here.

'James and Sirius had been suspicious for a long time,' Remus told her. 'Looking like you're about to faint if a spell so much as flies past you every month without fail doesn't really help things. You had nothing to do with them finding out.'

'But I did, Remus,' said Tala. She put her hands on his arm round her chest and grip it tightly. 'I didn't listen to you. I should have just stayed away, then they wouldn't know about either of us. If I hadn't of gotten bitten the first time then they would have just left you alone.'

Remus smiled. He gently kissed the back of Tala's head.

'But without you I'd still be alone,' said Remus. Tala looked up at him. 'Though I don't know it as a werewolf, knowing that you're there when I'm human before I transform makes the whole thing slightly more bearable.'

A small smile appeared on Tala's face, one that would eventually become a common trait. Remus smiled back and bought Tala closer. He may get shunned by the rest of the school but Remus always had his sister. That was the most important thing.

'I hope James gets back soon,' muttered Sirius.

He and Peter were sitting down in the common room in their favourite chairs waiting for him to get back from his Quidditch tryout. They'd agreed that to speak to Remus as soon as he got back but Sirius was getting impatient. They sat doing their homework, Sirius every so often glancing round the common room for any sign of James, his Charms homework getting little attention. At eight o'clock the portrait hole opened and in came the Gryffindor Quidditch team in a raucous crowd. In amongst them was James. He was being pat on the back by the older members of the team. When he saw Sirius and Peter in the corner, he ran over to them.

'I made the team!' he shouted. Sirius and Peter stood up when they saw James running over to them. Next moment he and Sirius were on the floor after James had tackled him in joy. 'Sirius, mate, I'm on the team!'

'Yeah, I got that,' said Sirius, 'now get off me!' Sirius pushed James off him and the pair got up. 'What position you get?'

'Ashleigh's put me in as Seeker seeing as the one from last year decided to quit as she was scared of the Bludgers,' said James breathlessly. He was just so ecstatic about being picked. 'I know it's not Chaser but I've still got time. Ashleigh thinks with a bit of training by the time I'm third or fourth year I should be quite a good Quidditch player.'

'Yeah, that's all well and good,' said Sirius. Now that they'd gotten the Quidditch celebration over, it was time to get to the more important stuff. 'Now let's go speak to Remus.'

James's euphoric mood suddenly changed; he'd forgotten about Remus.

'Oh yeah. Do you know where he is?'

'He isn't in the common room and I went to the library half an hour ago and he wasn't there either.'

'He's in the dormitory,' said Peter. James and Sirius looked across at him. Peter jumped slightly, thinking he'd spoken out of turn. 'He seemed kind of down at dinner, that's all,' he mumbled. 'I think he wanted some time alone.'

James and Sirius shared a look. James had been right when he thought Remus would be hiding in there at dinner. James glanced round the common to see Frank sitting with the girls in their year; he looked at Sirius and nodded towards the staircase. Peter didn't notice having returned to his homework. It was probably for the best; it wouldn't be a good idea to crowd Remus right now. They made their way through the crowded room and headed upstairs looking for their friend. The door to their room was closed, an uncommon occurrence. They knew he had to be in there. Quietly pushing it open, James and Sirius peered round the door. Their dormitory was quite messy with various books and clothes littered around the floor and their beds; only Frank and Remus's beds were made and tidy, Remus's of which had the hangings drawn round them.

The two boys walked into the room, closing the door behind them. They approached Remus's and knocked on the bedpost. Behind the curtains Remus and Tala sat up. They shared a look. Who was knocking at the post? Remus pulled back the curtain to show James and Sirius standing by his bed. He froze. He'd been dreading this moment all day. The curtain was pulled back to show Remus sitting on his bed, Tala there with him which slightly surprised James and Sirius though in truth they shouldn't have been.

'Hey, Remus,' said James cautiously, 'how're you feeling?' He didn't want to upset Remus anymore than he sure he already was.

'Yeah, mate,' said Sirius, more confidently. It wasn't like him to be shy. He sat down beside Remus on his bed, wrapping his arm round him. 'We haven't seen you all day.'

'Remus is fine,' said Tala instantly. She looked between the two second years. 'What d'you want?'

'Tala,' hissed Remus quietly. Tala looked at him. Remus shook his head warningly.

'Nothing,' said James. He sat down on Remus's bed as well. 'We just want to talk about last night. About what we saw.'

Remus and Tala looked at each other again.

'What is there to say?' asked Remus quietly. 'You saw what happened.' Remus looked away in shame. 'You know what I am.'

'Yeah, you're a werewolf,' said James. 'There's no point beating around the Flitterbloom bush with it. You are what you are, a werewolf.'

Remus flushed. Saying it didn't make him feel any better. James and Sirius saw this.

'But the point is, what are we going to do about it?'

Remus looked up at the two of them. 'We?'

'Yeah, you know,' said Sirius. 'You, me, James, and Peter when we tell him.'

'And what exactly are you planning to do about it?' asked Tala. She gave the boys a suspicious look. 'Tell the whole school?'

'Remus, will you tell your sister to cool her potion?' said Sirius. He gave Tala an indifferent wave of his hand. Tala let out an indignant huff. 'Can't think if I've got someone steaming in my face.'

'Hey –!'

'Tala,' warned Remus, 'cool it. Let's hear them out.' He turned to the others. 'What exactly are you and James planning?'

'Well, nothing at the moment,' said James. 'But we both know we want to help you.'

'Yeah,' agreed Sirius. 'So you've got a furry little problem that bothers you once a month. There must be something we can do to make it easier for you. We could …' Sirius looked around the dormitory, searching for inspiration, 'collect your homework for you and … tell people where you are if they get suspicious and nosy, keep your cover going by confirming it.'

'You mean like you did?' said Tala. Remus sent her a look. 'What?' she said.

'Point is, we want to do what we can to help you,' said James, trying to keep the peace between Sirius and Tala of whom were now glaring at each other openly, Remus in between shaking his head. 'There must be something we can do to make your …' James tried to find a way to describe it, 'furry little problem easier.' resorting to what Sirius had called it.

'You can't help him,' said Tala bluntly. 'Werewolves aren't safe to be around for humans. Everyone knows that. If you get bitten, then you become one as well. Only animals are immune to the werewolf venom. How d'you think I survived being bitten by Remus? Because I was in animal form.'

Tala had a point. Suddenly, an idea hit James like a Stunning Spell.

'That's it! Tala, you're a genius!' he burst. Sirius, Remus and Tala all looked at him. James gave them an excited nod. 'Animals. We'll become animals.'

'I think James has lost it,' muttered Remus. Sirius nodded.

'No, I'm serious,' said James.

'No you're not, I am,' said Sirius, confused. A moment later he realised what James meant and said, 'Oh, you mean – sorry, ignore me.' (the start of an on-going running gag between the friends). He looked away and began fiddling with a loose thread in Remus's sheets. Tala smirked, resulting in her receiving a glare from Sirius.

'You were saying before Sirius got confused about his own name and the adjective,' said Remus. 'How can you become animals and what has it got to do with Tala?' He glanced at his sister, quickly catching on to what James meant. 'You mean become Animagi?' Remus gasped, shocked.

'Why not?' said James. 'It'll give us an animal form and give you some more company during the full moon. Make the whole process easier.'

'James, that's some of the most complex magic ever written,' said Remus. 'It would take years to study the transformation process, not to mention years to practice, perfect and perform the spells and potions. Besides, you'd have to register if you become one. Animagi transformations are illegal.'

'But if it means you get some company during the full moon, isn't it worth it?' asked Sirius. 'A little risk here and there never did anyone any harm, Remus.' Remus wasn't convinced. 'Come on, we're your friends. We don't want to sit by and watch you suffer.'

'Friends?' repeated Remus. He looked between James and Sirius. 'You still want to be my friend even though I lied to you?'

James and Sirius gave him a strange look.

'Of course we do,' said James.

'You didn't think we'd abandon you, did you?' said Sirius. 'Sure, you lied to us for over a year –'

'But you had a good reason to do it,' said James, cutting over Sirius. 'We don't blame you for not telling us. It's was just a pity you didn't seem to trust us with it.'

Remus started to answer but came up short. Tala glanced at him, then sighed and said, 'Remus does trust you.'

James and Sirius stared at her, surprised at her sudden change in tone; Tala lowered her face, her hair creating a curtain around it, her hostile façade fading.

'He always told me you were the best friends he'd ever had,' she muttered. James and Sirius couldn't help but beam at that. 'But you can't understand what it's like. Something like this isolates a person. It isolates both of us.'

Remus looked at his sister. He put his arm round her and pulled her close.

'You're not alone, Tal,' said Remus gently. 'You'll always have me.'

'And you'll have us,' added James. Tala looked at him, confused. 'You didn't think we'd leave you out, did you, Tala? You're our inspiration. We're going to need your help too.'

Sirius gave James a sharp look.

'Seriously?' he mouthed silently. James nodded. Sirius held in a groan. 'Yeah,' he said, holding his tongue, something his father had told him to do regularly. 'Why not?'

Tala looked at Sirius suspiciously. There was something in his tone that she really didn't trust. He was a Black after all and the impression she had got from her father about the Black family wasn't a good one. She'd have to keep a close watch on this one like Lily had suggested.

'So that's settled,' said James. 'We're going to become Animagi. No matter how long it takes, Remus, we'll do it somehow.'

Remus looked at his friends. A smile came to his face.

'Thanks guys,' he mumbled. 'I really thought, now you knew, you'd ditch me.'

'Well then you obviously don't know us that well,' said James. The three friends smiled. 'Us Gryffindors have got to stick together.'

'There's just one problem though,' said Sirius next. The two other boys looked at him. 'What about Peter? I mean, he knows as much as we do except the one crucial piece of information.'

Remus thought for a moment, then said, 'We're going to have to tell him. .'

The next day in Charms was the best time the three boys found in order to tell Peter what was going on without being disturbed or overheard. Charms was always a chaotic lesson, even more so in their year as some of the Ravenclaws who they shared the lesson with got over enthusiastic. When Professor Flitwick was turned the other way and with a nod from Remus, James and Sirius told Peter what they had found out. His reaction was no less than what they had expected; Peter squeaked in surprise and looked wide-eyed at Remus who was looking away uncomfortably. If it hadn't been for a out of control book flying past his head at the same time, then his reaction could have drawn anyone's attention.

'S-so that's why you went home every month?' Peter asked Remus nervously. He nodded.

'It's not a big deal, Peter,' said Sirius. 'And we've got a plan to help Remus deal with it.'

For the rest of the lesson, the boys discussed what they had so far planned in order to help Remus and began thinking about what they needed to do to perform the Animagus transformation. Peter wasn't as confident as the others; he had never been too good with performing tricky spells and this one sounded very hard. James and Sirius assured him that he'd have their help. It wasn't something they were going to manage in a short space of time so he didn't have to worry for now. They hastily returned to their work when Professor Flitwick's hat appeared at their desk and gave them a reprimand for talking instead of working.

Four floors below them in the dungeons, Tala was having trouble trying to concentrate in her Potions lesson. Professor Slughorn had set them making a Memory Elixir to improve the drinker's recall skills and Tala was having little success in brewing it. Her mind was still reeling about what Potter and Black had said yesterday when they confronted Remus. Tala couldn't believe what they said. How could she?

Potter and Black said they would stick by Remus and help him but what could they honestly do? They couldn't be with him during the full moon so they were planning some of the most complicated magic to transform themselves into animals. Like Remus said: it would take years to perfect that spell. They were twelve year olds, they'd lose interest way before then. Potter and Black would be having much more fun plotting pranks and joking around than keeping something secret.

'Miss Lupin, I believe your elixir should be a pale purple colour by now,' said a voice above her. Tala looked up startled to see the large belly of Professor Slughorn leaning over her desk, peering down at her potion. 'Have you added all the ingredients?'

Tala hastily looked at the ingredients the book listed and at the ones on the desk. She'd forgotten the main ingredient. Professor Slughorn shook his head.

'Tut tut,' he murmured. 'I'm afraid this potion is ineffective if the Mirkwood is not added before you simmer it. I can't give you a mark for this.'

With a flick of his wand, Tala's potion vanished from her cauldron. Professor Slughorn turned on his heel and proceeded to the next table. Tala stared dismally into the depths of her empty cauldron. She spent the rest of the lesson copying out the ingredients list five times so that she would remember the order of them to redo the potion in their next class. When the bell finally went and Tala was one of the first to leave. Jordan called after her to wait but she didn't appear to hear him. He, Lottie and Rachel shared a concerned look and followed after her only to find she'd vanished.

The warm October air soon turned bitterly cold as November set in. In the middle of the month, the weather changed and Hogwarts became blanketed in a thick layer of snow meaning the trek to Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures for the older students became a bit of a battle, in particularly for the small first years. More than once you would see Professors Sprout or Kettleburn rescuing them from sinking into the snow. The temperature in the castle also dropped so to compensate Professor Flitwick had been put in charge of lighting enchanted fires in some of the corridors so that the students didn't freeze.

For some students the winter weather provided more activities at the weekends besides the piles of homework they received. Snowball fights took place all around the grounds between the first and second years while the third years above went down to the nearby village of Hogsmeade for the their first trip of the year. Apollyon Pringle, the grumpy caretaker, detested these moments as it meant he was constantly cleaning up puddles of water around the castle from the students dripping in the corridors or stray bewitched snowballs flying through open windows. More than once he'd had threatened students with his thumbscrews if he caught them throwing snowballs in the castle, the result of this Pringle being hit in the back of the head with a snowball by Peeves the poltergeist.

With Peter now in on the plan, things between the four friends soon resumed their usual ways and their bonds of friendship over Remus's secret had strengthened. Since the day James and Sirius had found out about his condition, you wouldn't see any of them without the rest of their group. They always sat together in lessons and at mealtimes. Out of class the four second years were regularly seen in the corner of the common room talking and laughing with each other while doing homework. The only annoyance in Sirius's opinion was that Tala was constantly there too. She didn't seem to trust them at all and made a point of appearing at Remus's side whenever she could.

As promised, when the next full moon came James, Sirius and Peter kept their word and informed the various teachers and pupils who questioned where Remus was. They used Remus's old excuse and worked on it to make it believable, telling it to anyone who questioned his whereabouts.

'His grandmother's got the wizard flu,' James told Frank and the other Gryffindors when they appeared without him at Defence Against the Dark Arts that Tuesday. 'His father's been busy at his job and hasn't been able to help at home so his mum asked Professor Dumbledore if he could come home for a few days to help around the house.'

'Is his grandma OK?' asked Dorcas Meadowes. All the girls were concerned. 'Wizard flu is ten times worse than Muggle flu. My dad had it once and he was in bed for weeks!'

'Remus said his mum told him she'd be all right with a few days rest,' said Sirius. 'She just needs Remus to do some chores while she takes care of his grandma.'

The Gryffindors appeared to be buying the story much to James and Sirius's relief. Across from them Severus, standing with the rest of the Slytherin's in his class, was also listening to what they said. He stood with his face turned away from them so that Potter and Black wouldn't notice, his arms folded and eyes closed in thought. The Lupin kid had gone home again? How often was his family ill? It seemed really weird to Severus. No wizard ever gets ill that often. Severus glanced over at the group of Gryffindors. They were taking in Potter and Black's story easily, even Lily, much to Severus's chagrin. She didn't believe them did she?

'Remus seems to go home a lot,' Lily said to them. 'Don't you think it's a bit strange how someone in his family's always ill?'

'Maybe they're old and get ill easily, Evans,' said James bluntly. 'It is possible you know for wizards as well as Muggles.' Lily flushed, her cheeks turning the same red as her hair. Severus saw this. He glared at Potter. 'It's not their fault if they fall ill all the time.'

'I was only asking,' retorted Lily, equally as blunt. 'Didn't mean to tread on your toes, Potter.'

'All right, class!' called Professor Merrythought. He came striding up the corridor and opened the door to the classroom. 'Sorry I'm late. Come along, come along. Inside so we can start.'

Severus glared at the back of Potter's head as he walked into class. The rest of the students filed in too. Severus caught Lily's arm as she passed him and held her back.

'You all right?' he asked. 'I saw Potter snap at you.'

'I'm fine, Sev,' said Lily. 'Some people are just arrogant like that.'

'Yeah,' said Severus. He couldn't really think of anything more to say.

The two stood in the corridor awkwardly for a moment or two before Lily spoke again.

'We better go in,' she muttered. There was a slight bitter tone in her voice Severus noted. 'Don't want our Houses thinking the wrong thing.'

'Lily, about that –' started Severus but Lily cut him off.

'I've got used to it over the last year, don't worry. I know we can't hang out like we used to but we'll still see each other occasionally. It's probably better like that.'

Lily turned and walked into the classroom. Severus followed, taking a seat next to Wilkes who gave him a very pointed look, his eyes flicking towards where Lily sat. Severus looked away.

It felt like a weight had been dropped in his stomach. Why couldn't Lily have been in Slytherin too? It just wasn't fair. Just because they were in different House didn't mean their friendship should suffer. But after the previous year, Severus could see Lily's point of view. The number of times one of her Gryffindor friends had pulled her away from him or Potter and Black had pulled a prank on him while they were talking, it frustrated him. Then his own House mocked him for having a Gryffindor friend which always resulted in Severus denying it. Perhaps it was better if they kept their meetings to a minimum.

'Looks like Snivelly was talking to Evans again,' whispered Sirius. He and James sat at the back of the class with Peter on the desk next to them. 'D'you think he was trying to find out where Remus is?'

James glanced up from his work on minor jinxes and hexes. Across the classroom he saw Severus writing down the notes Professor Merrythought had written up on the board, his face close to his parchment.

'It is a possibility,' said James. 'He was always curious why Remus looked ill every month. He must have been using Evans to find out what we saying.'

'Now, who can correctly identify which of these jinxes and hexes can cause injury and which are merely for amusement and don't cause any harm?' asked Professor Merrythought. He looked round the classroom.

Severus put his hand up. Professor Merrythought nodded at him.

'Hexes are more commonly used for effective attack while jinxes are more for entertainment,' he said. 'The Stinging Hex can cause minor burns depending on how much magic is put into it while the Leg Locker Curse and the Tickling Jinx just make the person hop about or squirm as they're tickled.'

'Correct,' said Professor Merrythought.

James and Sirius looked at each other. Trust Snivellus to know the difference between hexes and jinxes at their age. It had been evident since they started Hogwarts the previous year that Snape had an unhealthy like of the Dark Arts. He was in the top five in the class in the exam last year and he'd shown his knowledge of jinxes whenever he, James and Sirius crossed paths in the corridors.

'Hey, when was the last time we pulled a prank on old Snivelly?' James whispered quietly to Sirius. 'He's had long enough to recover from it by now, hasn't he?'

'I think we last pranked him back in September,' said Sirius, thinking back. 'Then he got you by bewitching those library books to follow you out of the library as if you were borrowing them without asking. So technically it's our turn. But you know what Remus said. He doesn't really think we should keep picking on him.'

'Snivelly gives as good as he gets. Remember when he made your wand backspell and you ended cross-eyed for the rest of the day?' Sirius shivered and nodded grimly. 'Besides Remus isn't here, is here?'

James wiggled his eyebrows deviously. Sirius grinned.

'When the Crup's away, the Kneazle can play.'

James and Sirius spent the rest of their Defence Against the Dark Arts coming up with a new way of humiliating Severus Snape. They had done all the basic pranks like Levitating his things out of his reach and bewitching his shoelaces together. It was time for a proper prank, one which would humiliate him in front of the whole year. And Sirius had just the thing. It was just a matter of catching Snivellus somewhere where everyone could see.

They found the perfect opportunity that night at dinner in the Great Hall. As usual it was full of noise from the students talking and the clatter of metal on metal from the plates and cutlery. Having informed Peter of what they were going to do, the three friends made sure they entered the Hall after Snape so they had a clear view of him and where he sat on the Slytherin table. They didn't initiate the prank until dinner was in full swing and the teachers were distracted enough not to notice any stray magic.

In turns, James, Sirius and Peter checked to see what Snape was doing so it wasn't obvious he was being watched. They had to make sure he had a drink with him. That was vital to his humiliation. Occasionally Snape became obscured by the larger boys in their year in his House meaning that whoever had their wand out had to quickly hide it again until Snape was in view.

Students began to clear from the Great Hall to return to their common rooms.

'James, we've got to do it now!' hissed Sirius. 'There's got to be enough people to see it!'

'Hold your Thestrals, Sirius,' James hissed back. 'Just wait a couple more seconds. He's talking to that Kingston girl in the Slytherin Quidditch team.' A spark of inspiration hit him. 'That's perfect,' breathed James. 'Sirius, do it now!'

'Why now?' asked Sirius. He looked across at Snape.

'Because he's talking to that girl! Sure, she's not that attractive but it'll look like something other than him wetting himself if we do it now, if you get my drift.'

Sirius grinned at James. He took out his wand and carefully aimed it at a jug of pumpkin juice near Snape's elbow.

'_Wingardium Leviosa_,' he whispered.

The jug lifted a bit off the table. Carefully Sirius guided it so it went off the edge to be hidden behind Snape's back.

'What are you guys doing?'

Tala appeared behind James, curious to why the three of them were staring intently at the other side of the Hall. Sirius held in a groan and kept his concentration on the spell so that he guide the jug closer to Snape's front. He and the girl were still talking.

'James and Sirius are pranking Snape,' said Peter.

_You've got to be kidding me_, thought Tala. She looked up to see what was happening. She could just see over the tops of the heads of the students on the tables between the Slytherin and Gryffindor ones.

Sirius guided the jug a little closer. He froze when it looked like Snape was going to get up. He and James let out a breath to see Snape was only going for a second helping of pudding.

'Come on, Sirius. Do it!'

Sirius complied. With a simple flick of his wand, Sirius released the spell. They didn't see what happened, only Snape suddenly leaping to his feet, the girl doing so as well.

Severus leapt to his feet when he felt a wetness starting on the front of his trousers. Joanna Kingston, a rather curvaceous and full-chested fourth year Chasers on the Slytherin Quidditch team, did so too, surprised by his sudden movement. She looked down at the younger student, her brown eyes focusing down on his trousers.

'You little pervert!' she shouted in a high shriek that every student in the vicinity turn and look in their direction. James, Sirius and Peter burst into laughter as a second later Kingston had slapped Snape and was walking away from him. Even Tala couldn't hold back the snicker that rose in her throat; she put her hand over her mouth to hide her smirk. Soon enough the rest of the students who could see what was happening also started laughing. Snape had turned bright red.

'I didn't!' he shouted, his cheeks burning from embarrassment. 'It wasn't me!'

Severus looked around at the laughing faces. He struggled backwards off the bench. His foot hit something on the floor. Severus looked down to see a jug lying on the floor, a puddle of pumpkin juice beside it. Instantly Severus looked across at the Gryffindor table. He knew who was behind this. And as he thought, there sat Potter and Black along with their friend Pettigrew, a weird small squat boy who hung out with them, laughing their heads off. Behind them a small girl with long red hair similar to Lily's but a darker shade stood with her hand covering her mouth Severus knew to hide a grin. He glared darkly at them.

Severus turned and marched angrily through the laughing crowd and out of the Great Hall to the nearest bathroom. So help him he was going to get even with those two.

'Oh, man, that went better than I'd ever planned!' laughed Sirius, clutching his sides. 'Did you see Snivelly's face when that girl slapped him!'

'If I was wearing one, I would definitely take my wizard's hat off to you, Sirius,' said James, still chuckling. He patted his friend on the back. 'That was priceless.'

'It was pretty funny,' remarked Peter.

'You're unbelievable,' said a voice behind them. James, Sirius and Peter looked round to see Lily standing there, arms folded, with a glare on her face. 'You three were behind that, weren't you?'

'So what if we were, Evans?' asked James. He fought to keep a straight face. 'You've got no proof if it was us or if Snivelly really did wet his pants from excitement.'

Lily's glare deepened. James smirked. He cocked his eyebrow at her.

'Oh come on, Evans. Don't say you didn't find that funny.' He smiled charmingly at her, or as charmingly as a twelve year old could manage. 'Everyone likes a joke once in a while.'

'You're just a bully, Potter,' sneered Lily. 'Why don't you go jump off the Astronomy Tower without your broomstick and do us all a favour?'

Lily swiftly turned on her heal and stalked away, her red ponytail swinging behind her. James let out a low whistle and looked at Sirius.

'I guess redheads do have a temper on them,' he muttered.

'She's right you know,' said Tala. James and Sirius looked round again to see Tala was still standing behind them. 'That wasn't a very nice thing to do, no matter how funny it was.'

'Don't you start,' groaned Sirius. 'It was a harmless prank. Snivelly will be fine once the school stops talking about it in a few weeks.'

'Sure, they're harmless now,' shrugged Tala, turning away. 'But sooner or later someone _will_ get hurt.'

Neither Sirius or James took much heed of Tala's warning. Instead the next day they delighted in the rumour that had spread round the school at Snape's little accident. Virtually all the students knew about it having heard from those who were in the Hall at the time. The prank couldn't honestly have gone any better. Of course, for Severus it meant he was now laughed at every time he walked into the Slytherin common room and jokes about it were shouted out every time he passed in the corridor. Severus kept his head through it, grating his teeth whenever a new joke flew his way, contenting himself with the thought he would get Potter or Black, whoever had done the spell, back.

Severus's opportunity for revenge on the two Gryffindor boys came sooner than he expected. On Thursday lunchtime, he had been sitting in the library after eating when he heard the unmistakeable tones of Black in the section of books just across from where he was studying. Getting up, Severus peered around the bookcase to see Black getting a reprimand from Madam Pince for handing a book back later. Black didn't appear to care much and soon left. Severus hastily gathered up his books and bag and ran after him (or at least, once he'd left the library).

Sirius stalked towards the changing staircase. He'd not had a good day. First he'd received extra homework from Professor McGonagall for messing about in Transfiguration instead of changing his mouse into a teacup; in Herbology, the Venomous Tentacula tripped him up three times (luckily Professor Sprout always allowed them to swear when it happened, especially as Sirius shouted, 'Son of a witch!' the third time); then Madam Pince had a go at him for returning a book he'd borrowed for his Potions homework a day late; finally at lunch, because Remus had not yet come back from the hospital wing, one of the Hufflepuff's in their year, Andrew Stebbins, thought it was clever to accuse Remus of things in front of him and James.

'I bet he's just skiving,' Stebbins was saying to his friends as they filled into the Great Hall after Herbology. 'He probably can't handle the pressure. Either that or he's faking those symptoms he keeps getting every month without fail.'

James and Sirius both overheard this. Anger flared in each of them.

'Hey!' James shouted. He and Sirius marched up to Stebbins and thrust him against the wall. The pair drew out their wands.

'Get your hands off me!' shouted Stebbins.

'Don't you dare talk about Remus like that!' snarled Sirius. Around them students were starting to looking in their direction. 'Remus is twice the wizard you are. He's one of the smartest in our year, or did you forget he beat you in every exam last year?'

'As for his symptoms,' added James. 'So he gets a headache once in a while. So what? Maybe he needs glasses or something and it's due to eye strain. Either way, it's none of your business why he feels sick every so often. Got it?'

Stebbins stared angrily at James. James and Sirius glared back.

'Whatever,' he said. Stebbins pulled his robes free of James's grip and walked off.

'Arsehole,' muttered Sirius. He climbed the staircase to the seventh floor. Hopefully James and Peter would be back from lunch by now. _Things can't possibly get any worse if I_'_m in the Gryffindor Tower_, he thought.

'Sirius!'

He thought too soon.

Tala had spotted Sirius on the changing staircase walking towards the seventh floor. She'd been on her way back to the Tower herself when she saw him ahead. Tala had been meaning to find him. At lunch there had been a commotion just outside the Great Hall that Sirius and James had been at the centre of. Tala along with Jordan and Lottie had been heading for lunch from Charms to see a group of students gathered just outside. James was holding on to another student in their year and both of them had their wands drawn. Curious the first years had gone to get a closer look.

'Don't you dare talk about Remus like that!' Sirius snarled. 'Remus is twice the wizard you are. He's one of the smartest in our year, or did you forget he beat you in every exam last year?'

'As for his symptoms,' added James. 'So he gets a headache once in a while. So what? Maybe he needs glasses or something and it's due to eye strain. Either way, it's none of your business why he feels sick every so often. Got it?'

The student James was holding glared at them, then pulled his robes free and said, 'Whatever.' walking off.

Tala was stunned at what she had seen. She'd been wrong. James and Sirius had kept their word and were still looking out for Remus, keeping his secret safe. In particular Tala felt bad for what she'd said about Sirius. Their father had told her and Remus a lot about the Black family and how they had a great deal of influence at the Ministry and Tala had made a snap judgement of Sirius because of that. Sirius was nothing like them from what she seen. If anything, he was real loyal friend to Remus and hopefully he'd remain like that.

She knew she had to apologise to Sirius for what she'd said, so when Tala saw him on the changing staircase she took the opportunity to talk to him.

'Sirius!'

Sirius looked round to see who'd called his name. He saw Tala running up the staircase below the one he was on. Oh Merlin, what now? Sirius stopped and waited for her to catch up. She had an urgent look on her face. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this. Tala ran as fast as she could up the remaining stairs. She reached the corner platform Sirius was standing on.

'You called?' said Sirius.

'Yeah, I –' Tala started but words failed her. Sirius gave her a strange look. 'I just – I wanted to – I just wanted to say thank you for what you've done for Remus,' rushed Tala.

Sirius stared at the younger student. Tala lowered her eyes under his gaze, a red tinge starting in her cheeks.

'What?'

'I just wanted to thank you,' repeated Tala, more slowly this time. She kept her face lowered, her hair creating a curtain around it. 'I guess when Remus said you were a decent guy in his letters, he was right. You've been a really good friend to him, you and James.'

The corner of Sirius's lip twitched and he let out a short laugh of surprise. The flush in Tala's cheeks increased. _Oh Merlin, he's laughing at me_, she thought. On the contrary. If anything it made a change to see her like this in Sirius's opinion instead of her usual bold self. She even looked quite cute, the red blush starting in her cheeks.

'Tala, Remus is my friend,' he said. 'Of course I'd help him. James, Peter and I wouldn't abandon him when he needs us.'

Tala nodded. She glanced up at him beneath her eyelashes.

'I'm also sorry for what I said,' she mumbled. 'About you and your family. You are nothing like them. And I'm sorry you have put up with me all the time, Remus's kid sister. I'm just worried about him. I don't want him to get hurt.'

Sirius stared at the younger student. Tala really cared deeply about her brother, more than Sirius could ever say he cared for Regulus. It was an admirable quality, he had to admit. Very slowly, Sirius felt his opinion of Tala change. She wasn't that bad to have around in truth. Tala seemed to have a good sense of humour and she'd laughed at some of the jokes they'd told in the common room before. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all as a friend.

'Oh, I guess I was labouring under the misapprehension that we were friends too,' said Sirius casually.

Tala looked up, surprised. Sirius cocked his eyebrow, a grin turning up the corner of his mouth.

'Really?'

'Yeah. You're not bad, Tala. I could get used to having you around.' Sirius nodded his head up the staircase. 'Come on, let's get back to the Tower.'

Severus ran as fast as he could in the direction Black had gone towards the changing staircase. He couldn't lose Black. This was the only time he could get him, when he was on his own. Severus reached the stairs. He looked around desperately for Black. He was standing on the corner platform of the fifth floor. There was a girl with him, the redhead who'd been standing behind him and Potter when they pulled that prank on him. It wouldn't matter if she saw Black get pranked. She wouldn't be able to tell on Severus or anything like that. Time to pay Black back for making it look like he'd wet himself. A simple Trip Jinx ought to do it.

Severus hid behind the doorway between the fourth floor and the staircases, watching as Black and the girl climbed the stairs. He pointed his wand at him, taking aim.

'_Incurro!_'

'So what's this animal trick you can do?' Sirius asked Tala. He'd been intrigued by it when Tala had first mentioned it.

'It's not a trick as such,' said Tala. 'It's more what I was born as. My grandma has it too and she told me I'm like what first inspired wizards to create Animagi or something. I can't really explain it.'

Severus's jinx flew the length of the gap between the two staircases towards Black. Everything was going to plan.

'Hey, watch your step,' said Sirius. 'Trick step here.'

Sirius jumped over the fake step. He turned and offered Tala his hand. Tala took it and he pulled her over the step.

_A spell speeding towards them_.

Tala gasped, letting go of Sirius's hand, her balance off as she only had one foot on the step. Severus watched as his jinx went for its target, only to see Black pull the girl over a trick step in the staircase and the girl lose her balance. The jinx hit her legs causing her to fall. Tala felt the spell she'd seen cross her eyes hit the back of her legs, tripping her. She lost her balance and fell over.

'Tala!' shouted Sirius.

Sirius lunged forwards to catch Tala but was too late. A Trip Jinx from an unknown origin hit the back of her legs causing her to fall backwards. Tala's body hit the stone knocking her head. She rolled down the rest of the staircase, coming to a stop on the platform they had previously been standing on. Below them Severus stared up in horror at what his jinx had done.

'Tala!' Sirius ran down the stairs, jumping the last two on to the platform. Tala didn't respond. Carefully, Sirius turned her over and brushed back her hair to see her face. There was a cut on her temple from where her head had hit the stair. 'Tala! Tala, come on, wake up!'

Still she didn't respond. Sirius looked wildly around for anyone who could help them. One floor below he saw someone run into the fourth floor corridor, greasy black hair pasted to a pale face: Snivellus. He'd done this, he must have; Snivellus had meant that Trip Jinx for him but it had hit Tala instead. Sirius clenched his fist and glared at where Snivellus stood five seconds ago; hatred pulsed in his veins.

Sirius turned back to Tala. He called her name again but Tala wouldn't wake. Sirius didn't have a clue what to do.

As Tala had said: it was only a matter of time until someone got hurt by one of these pranks. And as Sirius stared down at her motionless body, he realised that only a little too late.

* * *

**AN: hoped you liked the update and do leave a review. BlAcKdAuGhTeR.**


	12. Repercussions

Chapter 12

Repercussions

'Come on, Tala. Come on, wake up.'

The seconds Sirius knelt by Tala's side, repeatedly calling her name to wake her, seemed like hours to him. The cut on her temple was slowly leaking blood, trickling into her hair. Sirius looked around desperately for anyone who could help. In a school as busy as Hogwarts, how could there not be a single student or teacher around? Sirius stared back at Tala. She was still unconscious from the fall; she needed to be taken to the hospital wing immediately.

There was no other way. Sirius would have to take her to the hospital wing himself. So Sirius bent down and turned Tala over to pick her up. He pulled Tala on to his back, her arms over his shoulders and her head drooping beside his. The trickle of blood coming from the cut on her temple was now seeping slowly down her cheek. Sirius could only begin to imagine what Madam Pomfrey would think.

Sirius stumbled slightly under Tala's weight, not that she was heavy or anything but he was only twelve, repositioning her so he had a better hold. He grasped Tala round her legs in a piggy back, then carefully removed one arm to hold on to her hands so she didn't fall off backwards. Carefully, Sirius carried Tala back down the two floors towards the hospital wing. It wasn't easy, the weight on his back pushing him forwards and making it hard for him to keep his balance. Every so often Sirius grabbed on to the banister in case he fell, moving Tala so he kept his hold on her. The bell rang as he turned into the fourth floor corridor signalling lessons were soon to begin again after lunch.

After about ten minutes of struggling, Sirius saw the doors to the hospital wing in sight. He hesitated briefly. Remus might still be in there. What was he going to say when he saw Tala lying unconscious on his back? Remus was so protective of Tala, he'd jump to any conclusion about it – maybe even think Sirius had done it! A shiver ran down his spine in apprehension. He'd just have to grin and bear it. Sirius removed his hand holding Tala's wrists and pushed open the door. The hospital wing was empty apart from one student Madam Pomfrey was handing a glass of smoking liquid, most likely Pepper-Up Potion as there had been an outbreak of colds in the castle from the November weather. Remus wasn't there to Sirius's relief.

Madam Pomfrey looked up from the student she was dealing with when she heard Sirius enter. Her sharp eyes roved over the two students, one draped precariously over the other.

'What _has_ been going on here?' she gasped, marching straight over to them.

Sirius was wholly relieved when Madam Pomfrey Levitated Tala off his shoulders despite the reprimand she gave him. He'd felt like he was going to fall over. Madam Pomfrey floated Tala over to a free bed and laid her down on it, then proceeding to check her over. She muttered furiously to herself as she pointed her wand at various places on Tala's body. Only when she had done that did Madam Pomfrey turn to him.

'Mr Black, would you kindly like to tell me why Miss Lupin was slumped unconscious over your shoulders with a cut on her forehead?' asked Madam Pomfrey, her voice suspicious.

'Er, she er …' Sirius searched for an answer, knowing he couldn't tell Madam Pomfrey what happened and about Snape attempting to hex him and hitting Tala instead. 'She was surprised when the staircase changed. Tala tripped up and fell down the stairs and hit her head.'

Sirius hoped his excuse would wash. Madam Pomfrey's eyes appraised him for a few torturous seconds before she turned her back to him. She tapped her wand gently on Tala's temple and the cut healed itself. Another tap and the blood in her hair and on her cheek vanished. Madam Pomfrey turned on her heel towards her office. She saw Sirius still standing there.

'Don't you have a lesson to go to?' she said briskly. 'Miss Lupin isn't going to wake up with a flick of a wand. She's sedated so I can assess if she has any other breaks or a concussion without her risking any more injury. There's no point in you waiting around like a spare broom. Come on, out!'

Sirius got to his lesson ten minutes late. James, Peter and a newly refreshed Remus all gave him a strange look as he muttered his apology to the Professor. He sat in his seat next to James but didn't settle his friends' curiosity to why he was late. Sirius didn't want to risk Remus hearing the reason his sister was at that moment lying sedated in a hospital wing bed. James, Remus and Peter shared a curious look about Sirius's strange and unnaturally quiet behaviour. Sirius didn't look at the other boys for the rest of the lesson, keeping his eyes focused ahead though he was barely listening to the teacher. Already he was trying to come up with a way to make Severus Snape pay for injuring an innocent first year.

'Sirius, mate, what is up with you?' asked James after class, utterly confused by his friend's behaviour. 'You've been silent since you got back from lunch and done nothing but glare into the distance all lesson. What's up?'

Sirius looked up across at James as they walked out of the classroom. James had held him back, telling Remus and Peter they'd catch up. James was determined to find out what had put Sirius in such a foul, brooding mood.

'It's nothing,' grated Sirius.

'Well that explains everything,' said James sarcastically. 'You know, I thought I would actually have to jinx the truth out of you but no, you've cleared everything up with that short statement.'

The word "jinx" made Sirius flinch. His mind involuntarily replayed what had happened that afternoon. He gritted his teeth and let out a slow annoyed breath. James saw this.

'Seriously, what is wrong with you?' asked James. 'It's unnatural!'

'All right!' groaned Sirius. 'All right, but you can't tell anyone – _especially_ not Remus!'

James looked at Sirius strangely. Sirius glanced ahead of them to make sure Remus was out of earshot as they walked down to the grounds for Herbology.

'Snape tried to get back at me at lunch by tripping my up with a Trip Jinx on the changing staircase,' muttered Sirius quietly.

'That little worm,' breathed James. 'Second years aren't meant to know that jinx. And that's just playing dirty doing it on the changing staircase. But what's this got to do with Remus?'

'Because of Tala,' said Sirius. James's eyes narrowed. 'She saw me first on the stairs and came to talk to me. We were going back to the Tower when Snape tried to trip me up. We were on the staircase between the fifth and sixth floors, the one with the trick step. I was just pulling Tala over it when the jinx hit her legs and because she only had one foot on the stair above, she fell down the stairs and hit her head. She's lying unconscious in the hospital wing so Madam Pomfrey can check her over and Remus doesn't know.'

'Sirius, you have to tell him,' hissed James, careful to keep his voice down. 'That's his little sister Snivellus has jinxed, not some random little first year. He has to know!'

'No, he doesn't,' insisted Sirius. He shot a glance again at the back of Remus's head. He was happily talking to Frank and Peter as they walked through the November snow towards the Herbology greenhouses. 'Remus has just recovered from his furry little problem and this is the last thing he needs to worry about. You know what he's like about Tala.'

'But it's Tala, Sirius! He'll find out. You know what this school is like!'

'No he won't. Not if we don't tell him.'

'Sirius –'

'Do you really want to make Remus ill again after he's just recovered?' asked Sirius straight out.

James was about to say something then shook his head. He didn't want Remus to do anything but he also didn't like the idea of not telling Remus his sister had been injured.

'Just let me handle it,' said Sirius. 'I'm going to go back to the hospital wing after Herbology to speak to Tala. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey will let her out. Then I'll deal with _Snivellus_.' Sirius spat his name. 'He'll regret jinxing Tala.'

James looked warily at his friend, then said, 'Fine, but _don't_ start anything with Snape. I hope you know what you're doing.'

True to his word, Sirius returned to the hospital wing as soon as Herbology was over. He was one of the first out of the class, shouting his apologies to James, Remus and Peter as he sprinted past them. He ran through the snow as fast as he could back up to the warm castle. When he got to the changing staircase it was already full of students, however, still being only a small second year Sirius was able to slip past them with ease up to the fourth floor. He got to the hospital wing in what must have been record time.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't there when Sirius pushed opened the door but the door to her office was closed so Sirius assumed she was inside. Looking around Sirius found the bed Tala was on. She was sitting up against the pillows reading her copy of _Standard Book of Spells_ for the first year. She didn't look up until Sirius was standing beside her bed. There was a small piece of padding strapped to Tala's left temple but besides that she seemed perfectly all right and Tala grinned when she saw him.

'Sirius, hi,' she said lightly. 'I didn't expect to see you. I thought Remus might come and see me.'

'Er hi, Tala,' replied Sirius. 'I was just wondering how you were feeling. That was quite a fall you took.'

'Oh, I'm all right,' Tala shrugged. She then winced slightly and put her fingers to the bandage. 'Just got a bit of a headache, that's all,' she laughed quietly. 'It's not every day I decide to fall down the stairs.'

'Yeah.' Sirius moved and sat down in the chair beside her bed. Tala placed her book down and shifted herself so she could face him. 'So, can you remember anything that happened? You hit your head quite hard.'

'Not really,' muttered Tala. 'One minute you're pulling me over that trick step, next I'm lying in the hospital wing. I don't even know how I got here.'

'I brought you here,' said Sirius. 'You got hit by a jinx that was meant for me.'

'I did?'

Tala gave Sirius a confused look. But then something began to come back to her. She'd taken Sirius's hand to be pulled over the step and … Tala had had another one of the strange flashes, like at the beginning of the year. She'd seen a curse flying at her, next moment one did and it hit her legs. Subconsciously Tala touched her hand to the back of her legs; there was a slight pain in them. Her head began pounding as she remembered.

'Tala, are you OK?' asked Sirius, concerned. She'd put her hand to her forehead and seemed to be in pain.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' she breathed. 'It's just – my head's hurting, that's all. Madam Pomfrey said it would, considering I fell down an entire flight of stone stairs. She was amazed I didn't have any other breaks. So let me guess,' Tala then said, looking at him. 'Snape?'

Sirius nodded.

'I didn't mean for you to get caught up in this.'

'It's not your fault, Sirius,' said Tala. 'It was an accident and there's no permanent damage. I'll be fine.'

Sirius nodded a second time, then said, 'So d'you think she'll let you out?'

'I hope so,' said Tala. 'I don't somehow think the house-elves are responsible for the hospital wing food as well. My lunch tasted stale.'

The two shared a laugh, Sirius grinning.

'So Snape was trying to get back at you?' Tala then asked.

'Yeah, I guess so,' said Sirius, rubbing the back of his neck. 'A bit dirty of him using a jinx we shouldn't know and somewhere dangerous like the changing staircase.'

Tala watched Sirius for a second, then mumbled, 'I told you it was a matter of time before someone got hurt.'

'Yeah, I know, Tala. And I didn't mean it to happen to you. Remus would kill me if he knew what happened.'

'I know. That's why we're not going to tell him.'

Sirius looked up at Tala, startled. Tala looked back plainly.

'Huh?'

'D'you really think I want Remus going all "protective big brother" on me?' asked Tala. She raised her eyebrow. 'As close as I am to him, we're not joined at the wand tip. He doesn't have to know everything I do. You're not going to tell him, are you?'

'No,' said Sirius, relieved. With Tala not wanting Remus to know either it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. And it meant that he could get back at Snape without Remus questioning the reason behind it.

Luckily Madam Pomfrey _did_ let Tala out. The two students walked together down to the Great Hall where the rest of the school were gathered for dinner. At the Gryffindor table Sirius and Tala separated, Tala sitting with her fellow first years and Sirius joining James, Remus and Peter further down the table from them. He sat down between them and as usual began shovelling his food, unaware of the strange looks the other three boys were giving him.

'Was that Tala with you just then?' asked Remus. Sirius nodded absently as he took a mouthful of food. 'How come? I thought you found her annoying because she kept hanging around me?'

Sirius finished his mouthful then said, 'Well yeah, I did at first. Who'd want their younger brother or sister bothering them every five minutes?'

'Not all people have the same relationship with their sibling as you do with your brother,' said Remus. 'But still, why the change of mind?'

Sirius shrugged casually.

'I don't know. She's not that bad, I guess. She's got a good sense of humour and she seems like a bit of a trickster.'

'A bit of a trickster?' repeated James. He gave Sirius a sceptical look. 'Tala Lupin's as mild as Remus is. She probably hasn't pulled a prank in her life.'

'Well there's a first time for everything.'

'Don't you get any ideas, Sirius,' said Remus. 'I'm not having my sister becoming a …' he paused, looking for an appropriate word, 'a marauder like you and James.'

Further up the table, Tala too was facing her own set of questions as to why she missed that afternoon's lessons. On the way down to the Great Hall, Sirius had told Tala what he'd told Madam Pomfrey and so she too was using that story to her friends so as to not arouse suspicion around them. Both Rachel and Lottie shook their heads despairingly when they heard Tala had injured herself again (and privately agreed she must be somewhat accident-prone) while Jordan filled her in about what she had missed in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts.

A few seats away from Tala sat Lily. She'd seen Tala walk into the Great Hall with Sirius Black of all people, him going off to join Potter and his other friends, which Lily found strange having heard some of the things Tala had said about Black beforehand. She'd found him as irritating as Lily found both him and Potter and she certainly didn't seem to trust him. To see the two of them talking amicably to each other was strange indeed.

When Tala had past her seat Lily waved hello at her only to notice a couple of butterfly strips over her left temple, hidden underneath her loose hair. Tala had smiled and waved back, unfazed by the confused look that came over Lily's face when she walked by. Curious to what had happened Lily subtly listened in to the conversation between Tala and her friends as she ate. Tala had fallen down the stairs when she was going back to the Gryffindor common room at lunch with Black. She hadn't broken anything, only hitting her head and the back of her legs. And apparently, Black was the one who'd got her to the hospital wing.

Lily found all this very strange. Firstly, even first years could get over the trick step in the staircase to the sixth floor so how Tala missed it, Lily didn't know; secondly, how could she have not broken anything yet have marks on the back of her legs; and finally, why would Tala have been talking with Black in the first place? Did he have something to do with all this? Lily mused over this for the majority of dinner, only half listening to what Alice was saying about the day's Transfiguration lesson. Lily knew Tala was slightly accident prone but still …

Lily sighed and looked up from her food. Her eyes drifted over the Hall full of chattering students. Some were starting to leave having finished their desserts. Over at the Slytherin table, Lily saw Severus rise from his seat between two of his fellow Slytherin second years, Avery and Mulciber. She sighed again as she remembered it was still another month before the Christmas holidays, the next time she was likely to be able to spend some time with him. He turned and headed out of the Hall.

A thought suddenly struck Lily causing to gasp and drop her spoon with a clatter on to the table. Not bothering with an explanation to Alice, Lily ran out of the Great Hall after Severus.

'Severus!' she called. He was just heading into the passageway that led down to the dungeons. He stopped and spun round to see who'd called his name.

'Lily, hi,' he said, a smile gracing his face. It had been ages since he'd spoken to her. 'What's up?'

'You tried to get back at Black, didn't you?' said Lily straight out, not hiding her annoyance. The smile on Severus's face instantly vanished, changing into a frown.

'So what if I did?' said Severus indifferently. 'He's the one who made that jug of pumpkin juice tip over me. He deserved it.'

'Severus, you didn't hit Black at all, you hit Tala!' said Lily.

'Who's Tala?' asked Severus.

'Remus Lupin's little sister. You made her fall down the stairs. You could have caused her a serious injury!'

_Oh yeah_, thought Severus. Lily must have meant that little first year that had been with Black at the time. He swallowed as Lily waited for his answer to his actions, her green blazing as they stared at him.

'I didn't know,' he said in his defence. 'It could have been any random first year for all I knew! I wasn't to know it was Lupin's sister!'

'That's not the point!' scolded Lily. 'You're not supposed to use magic in the corridors and especially not on the changing staircase! That place is dangerous enough when the stairs decide to change without you adding to it! Tala could have really hurt herself because of you!'

'Hey, I'm not completely innocent in this!' retorted Severus. 'Black and Potter are as much to blame as I am! They started all this!'

'I don't care who started all this, Sev,' said Lily. She stopped and took a breath. Her voice was gentler when she spoke again. 'I just thought you were better than them, that you wouldn't rise to their taunts.'

'But Lily –'

'Sev, you used a jinx we're not even meant to know yet. What other jinxes and hexes do you know which we shouldn't?'

Severus shifted uncomfortably on the spot and muttered, 'A fair few. I'm interested, that's all! I didn't intend to use it.'

'Well, just promise me you won't use them again?' asked Lily. She looked at Severus earnestly. Severus swore he felt his cheeks flush. Her green eyes were looking straight into his black ones as she asked this. 'I know it's not _dark_ magic or anything but it just seems so mean to use them and I don't want another one of my friends getting hurt by them in your petty feud with the arrogant toerags. Promise me you won't, Sev?'

Severus hesitated. He didn't want to disappoint Lily but those few hexes and things he'd looked up were his one comeback against Potter and Black. Those two were so lazy they wouldn't go look up a spell even if it was for homework. Severus hadn't meant for that girl – Tala, was it? – to get hurt and it was a complete accident but if those two embarrassed him like with the pumpkin juice, Severus was going to get back at them. Fair is fair.

'OK, I promise,' Severus said reluctantly. Lily smiled.

'Thanks, Sev,' she said, 'I knew you were a good person.'

Much to Severus's surprise Lily gave him a hug, wrapping her arms round his neck and moving closer. His eyes widened and momentarily he actually forgot to breath. It took his a couple of seconds to then realise Lily had let go and was walking back towards the Great Hall. She gave him a wave and disappeared through the door. Severus waved back vaguely, his mind still focused on the hug.

That night in the common room was quieter than usual as the students attempted to get all their homework done before the Christmas holidays were less than two weeks away. Even James and Sirius could be seen in their favourite corner with Remus and Peter doing their various essays for Potions and Herbology. All four had planned to go home for Christmas as always and wanted the entire holiday free so that they could meet up throughout and make the most of the three week holiday. The sooner they got the work out the way, the more fun they could have and James and Sirius had a lot planned to keep them entertained.

The students slowly began to disappear up to the dormitories as the night crept in, some remaining to talk with their friends before bed while the younger students who were still getting used to the normal heavy workload carried on hidden behind their textbooks. By quarter to ten most had by now packed it in and were sloping off to bed. In their corner, James threw down his quill having written the last word on his essay and stretched.

'Merlin, I can't wait for the Christmas holidays to start,' he sighed, leaning back in his chair. 'A nice break from all these essays.'

'Tell me about it,' said Sirius. He was slumped over with his head on the table, quill in his hand, scrawling something about the properties of Mandrake root for his Herbology essay. 'I feel like my hand's going to fall off and I've only written five of the seven inches Professor Sprout wants. Who knew there was so much about Mandrakes?'

'Even first years can write a seven inch essay,' said a voice beside them. The four boys looked up to see Tala looking down at Sirius's essay. 'And paralysation is spelt with an "s" not a "z".'

'All right, Miss-Smarty-Robes,' huffed Sirius. He scribbled out the incriminating "z" and wrote an "s" in its place. 'Better?'

'Yeah,' said Tala mildly. 'But Mandrakes don't cause paralysation anyway. They cause petrification.' She smiled at Sirius who gave her an annoyed look. 'What?'

'You could have said that first,' he muttered, scribbling out the entire word this time. 'Anyway, how d'you know that? First years don't study Mandrakes in Herbology.'

'Remus did that essay yesterday when I visited him in the hospital wing,' shrugged Tala. 'I read a bit of it.'

'Moving on,' said Remus to avoid any argument that might break out, 'you off to bed, Tal?'

'Yeah, I was just coming to say goodnight,' she replied. 'And thanks for earlier, Sirius.'

Sirius glanced up at Tala, then smiled.

'No problem.'

Remus looked curiously between them. Sirius and Tala getting along, whatever next?

'Well, I'm off,' Tala then said. 'Have fun with the rest of your homework. Night.'

'Don't I get a hug first?' asked Remus.

Tala gave him a strange look. Remus raised his eyebrows at her and held open his arm. Tala just managed to stop herself rolling her eyes. They weren't little kids anymore. She could go to bed without having a hug from him. She'd managed for a whole year. Still, Tala relented. She moved round to where Remus was sitting and gave him his hug. Remus held her close for a few seconds then released his grip.

'Night, Tal.'

'Night, Remus.'

Tala got up again and was just about to leave when Remus caught her wrist again. He'd seen something white flash from underneath her hair in the dim light of the common room.

'Hang on. You've got something on your forehead.'

Tala tensed; at the same moment Sirius looked up from his homework and he and James watched Remus worriedly; Peter just carried on, unaware. Remus brushed back Tala's hair and held it back with his hand. There on Tala's left temple were three small white strips. His eyes narrowed when he saw them.

'Tal, where did you get those?' he asked, confused. He touched one of them causing Tala to flinch. Her temple still hurt a bit from the fall.

'Oh, I fell down the stairs earlier,' said Tala carefully sticking to what she and Sirius had agreed. 'It's nothing, Remus, really. I'm fine.'

Remus stared at her. Tala had never done that before. He knew she had her moments of being clumsy but still. Tala stood nervously in front of him. Her eyes involuntarily glanced at Sirius who was staring between the two. Remus saw this.

'Sirius?' Remus looked at his friend. 'Did you have anything to do with this?'

'Me?' repeated Sirius. He tried to put on his best shocked voice. 'What makes you say that?'

'Remus, let it go,' insisted Tala next. She stepped back so her hair fell away from Remus's hand and back over the cut. 'It was no one's fault. It was an accident.'

'So then why don't I believe that?' countered Remus. He stared between his sister and his friend. 'Sirius, you had a go at me for lying so don't do the same. As for you, Tala, Mum told us not to lie and you're rubbish at it when you try. So which one of you is going to tell me what happened?'

Sirius and Tala shared another look. Sirius also glanced at James. He shook his head. Remus saw this.

'OK, what do you three know that I don't?' demanded Remus. 'What happened to my sister?'

'Oh, Remus, stop being all over protective,' sighed Tala. 'I'm fine. It doesn't matter what happened. It was an accident. The jinx wasn't even meant for me.'

'Tala!' gasped Sirius.

'Oops.' Tala swallowed when she realised what she'd said. She looked worriedly at Remus. He gave her a pointed look which she took to mean "tell me what happened, now!". 'Snape tried to get back at Sirius for spilling pumpkin juice over him the other day. He used a Trip Jinx and it hit me instead and I fell down the stairs.'

Tala refused to look at Remus as she said this. However, it wasn't her he was glaring at.

'You mean to tell me Tala fell down the stairs because of your petty fight with Snape?' said Remus, his eyes fixed on Sirius.

'I didn't mean to get her involved, Remus!' said Sirius in his defence. 'She just happened to be standing behind me and James when we pulled the prank. Besides, like Tala said, it was an accident. I wasn't to know Snivellus was going to try and get me back.'

'If you hadn't have poured pumpkin juice over him in the first place then this wouldn't have happened,' snapped Remus.

'Least ours was a harmless prank!' said Sirius, angry. 'Snape was the one to let loose with a jinx and do it on the changing staircase!'

'Not helping, Sirius,' muttered James quietly. A red flush was starting in Remus's cheeks.

'That's not the point! Because of your immature prank, my sister's got hurt! She could have seriously injured herself!'

'Remus, I'm fine,' said Tala. 'I didn't break anything and I didn't hit my head that hard.'

'Hard enough for you to cut it and probably knock yourself out,' said Remus.

'Remus, take a Cheering Charm,' said Sirius. 'Tala's fine. And it was Madam Pomfrey that kept her unconscious, not the fall.'

'Seriously, not helping,' hissed James this time. Tala too gave him a desperate look to stop saying things that would only make Remus angrier.

'I don't believe this!' said Remus. 'I can't believe you didn't tell me Tala had got hurt! I thought you were my friend!'

'Oh, Remus, stop it!' snapped Tala. 'It wasn't Sirius's fault. He was the one who got me to the hospital wing, for Merlin's sake. If anything, you should be thanking him!'

Remus's glare instantly changed. He looked at Tala confused.

'What?'

'Sirius was there when it happened,' said Tala, a hint of impatience with Remus in her voice. 'The jinx had been meant for him. He was helping me over the trick step in the staircase when the jinx came from nowhere and it hit me when I lost my balance. Sirius tried to catch me and he got me to the hospital wing as soon as he could. You should be thanking him, not shouting at him!'

Remus looked at Sirius.

'Is this true?' he asked. Sirius nodded. Remus looked between the two of them, silent. He then swallowed. 'I … I don't know what to say …'

'Sorry would be a good start,' said Tala bluntly. Remus sent her a sharp look.

'You really did help her then?' he then asked Sirius.

'Of course I did,' said Sirius, annoyed Remus would think he wouldn't. 'I wasn't about to leave her lying unconscious on the stairs. She's my friend too, you know. No one hurts my friends.'

'Then I guess I owe you an apology,' muttered Remus, 'and a thank you.'

'Apology accepted,' said Sirius. 'I'm just a bit narked off you would think I wouldn't help your sister.'

'Excuse me, still here,' said Tala.

'Well you two didn't exactly get along,' mumbled Remus.

'Oh that, just friendly banter,' said Sirius. 'Wasn't it, Tala?'

'Yeah,' Tala agreed. 'Just like earlier with the paralysation joke.'

'Oh that's what it was,' said James, rolling his eyes. 'Sure, whatever you say.'

Sirius sent James a look, however, a grin was still turning up the edge of his mouth.

Though they hadn't wanted it, it was probably better that Remus knew what had happened. Tala was certainly right when she said he'd play the protective big brother on her. Still it meant that a friendship between her and Sirius had started and Remus preferred that to their continuous "banter" as they had put it that had been between them previously. Little was he to know what was to brew between the two of them over the next few years.

* * *

**AN: having now established in these chapters all that i needed to between the various characters, the next chapter i have planned is a sort of filler chapter to pass the time between J/S/R/L second year to their fifth year and Tala's fourth when things start to kick off. just to clarify they are all friends, Lily doesn't like Snape going after James etc. to get back at them and doesn't approve of the marauders but likes Tala, and Tala and Regulus both seem intrigued by each other. please leave a review and thanks all who reviewed the last chapter. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**

**next chapter's called "Times of Change" and basically will go through how the five, Severus and Regulus change and their friendships continue etc. and there will be a short bit that shows how Tala and Regulus do become friends. it'll probably be shorter than the others but it means the better longer chapters are to come.**


	13. The Passing of Time

Chapter 13

The Passing of Time

Time. It affects us all in many different ways. While in most instances it is an asset, there are still moments when time is your enemy. With time comes change, growth, and experience. Over the passing of time, many things can happen to a person and affect their lives in many different ways. It can come as a surprise to some how much others can change over a short period of absence such as a holiday whereas to others the change that comfes with an extended period spent away can show no surprise at all. Time cannot be controlled and everyone suffers the affects of it whether beneficial, annoying, or unstoppable. All one can do is allow these things to come to pass and watch as the people around them develop in ways sometimes that can never be fathomed.

If you said the name Tom Marvolo Riddle to any member of the wizarding community who knew him, their reply would centre on how much of a flattering young man he was. A model student, a hard worker, and not to mention very attractive with his dark hair and eyes in contrast to his pale skin. This is the Tom Riddle the public knew of. However, this was not the person who existed in his body any longer. Since he finished Hogwarts many years ago, Riddle was no longer recognisable to those who knew him back then except to his followers. His hair had gone, his eyes were no longer dark but blood red with slits for pupils, and he had virtually no nose (a trait he'd taken from his favoured creature, the snake). Still he possessed the ability to flatter those he wished to join him in his conquest but also many more skills to influence those around him. No longer was he known by that filthy Muggle name he shared with his father. These days he went by a new name, one the wizarding world knew and feared throughout. An anagram of his full name, Tom Marvolo Riddle, whenever he introduced himself, he would use the same sentence: "I am Lord Voldemort".

In the time that had passed since his return to the wizarding world, Voldemort's pursuit for power and persecution of unworthy wizards and witches was steadily getting worse. People in the streets feared to say his name, referring to him only as "He Who Must Not Be Named" and "You-Know-Who", his followers calling him Lord Voldemort. As the years passed more and more Muggles and Muggle-born wizards alike were being killed; as for the pure-bloods and the social elite of wizard society, some were choosing, others were forced through the Imperious or Cruciatus Curses, to join his following whether because they supported his ideas of blood supremacy or for the protection for the rest of their family from Voldemort's wrath. Very few were aware of Voldemort's true identity and only one was taking a stand against it.

When Lord Voldemort first appeared, Albus Dumbledore took it upon himself to stop his once admirable student. Never could he have imagined back when he first met the boy at his orphanage that he would grow to be the greatest Dark wizard of their time. He along with his closest friends and colleagues banded together to form a small organisation he named the Order of the Phoenix to oppose and fight back against Voldemort's domination, using his brother Aberforth's pub in Hogsmeade as their Headquarters for them to meet and discuss his plans and motives. Very few knew of the organisation as Dumbledore was not willing to let any old wizard off the street join and risk his or her life for it; at first he requested only his colleagues at Hogwarts along with a few personal friends at the Ministry of Magic to join, very slowly accepting new members he believed would be an asset in stopping whom he still referred to as Tom Riddle. He kept the discussions of these meetings away from Hogwarts to protect the students and prevent them from joining. However, it wasn't long until Voldemort found out who was behind the counter-attacks against his followers.

So time can be an enemy, giving us little time to prepare for the future and whatever it might bring. But it also can be our friend, allowing people to grow and mature into the people they will be for the rest of their lives and appreciate what we already have but might never have noticed. For some the change is evident straight away, for others, not so much until you take the time to look take a closer look. Of course, some take longer to mature than others.

James Potter was one of these cases. He and Sirius Black were notorious when it came to a lack of maturity both in and out of class and the older they were, the worse their pranks seemed to get. He would spend his summer holidays coming up with new pranks for them to pull as soon as they were back at Hogwarts in September, some he saved especially for a certain Slytherin James particularly disliked. And if it wasn't pranks he was working on, it was his Quidditch. He managed to progress on from Seeker to Chaser and so he spent a lot of his free time training to build up the strength he needed in order to throw the Quaffle far enough to his team mates or through one of the three hoops at the end of the pitch; he continually impressed both his team and his friends (only boosting his already somewhat inflated ego), eventually becoming Quidditch Captain in his fourth year as the majority of his team was made up of older students. His popularity grew as he got older along with that of his best friend, Sirius Black.

Having been so much of an outcast in his family, Sirius relished in all the time he could spend with his friends during school and the summer holidays as he always stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas and Easter. Like James, Sirius also loved to prank and he usually came up with the more creative ones which occasionally also led to them being slightly on the dangerous side. Whenever the opportunity for a good practical joke came, Sirius was always the first to find it and come up with something worthwhile even if it did result in him and James receiving a week's worth of detention because of it. As he got older, Sirius's more lax personality also developed as both he and James discovered the wonderful world of girls during their fourth year. The few girls he dated that year had all been very brief relationships, Sirius not really minding when he lost interest in his latest fling before moving on to the next. By the end of the fourth year, the gossip around the girls was that he and James were some of the best looking boys in their year and so just one date with them would be a privilege to any witch. Who was Sirius to deny them?

The friendship between James and Sirius was one Hogwarts had never seen before. Looking at them, you wouldn't have thought they had only known each other since they had started Hogwarts. You would never see one without the other; in class, around the castle, on Hogsmeade visits, the two teenagers would always be seen together. They were like brothers, James acting as a refuge for Sirius away from his family during the holidays, Sirius the creative counterpart whenever they needed a new prank to pull on Snape. And together, along with their two other friends Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, they soon became known as the Marauders, a title James and Sirius were proud to have.

Remus, on the other hand, remained the quiet one of the group not to mention the most mature. He didn't join in with the pranks as much as James and Sirius but still enjoyed the occasional joke with his friends. He was the one they looked to when they needed help or advice and Remus was always more than happy to give it. He valued their friendship more than anything. However, as he grew older, so did his other self. The werewolf inside him was slowly getting stronger as Remus grew and the affects of the full moon started to take its toll on the young wizard. While his symptoms and illness was getting easier to deal with, the transforming itself was getting more and more painful. Not just that but seeing what it was doing to Tala made Remus feel even worse; the strength of the werewolf was steadily getting too much for Tala to handle in her horse form on her own and she couldn't always keep him in check. She would be left with scars and bruises from the werewolf's attacks and the number of times he got close to escaping the Whomping Willow was too many to count. And whenever Remus tried to make her stay out of it, Tala wouldn't listen.

Finally there was Peter. The smallest of the group, Peter was always the one shunted into the background whenever it was known that the Marauders had pulled another prank as James and Sirius's popularity gave them the centre of attention. While James and Sirius were handsome and funny and Remus was intelligent, Peter was the one always relying on the others for help whether it was with homework or the fact he'd forgotten something. There was nothing special about him, only that he happened to hang out with some of the coolest guys in their year. At times Peter loved the attention that he got whenever someone did ask him his part in their latest prank, at others Peter secretly felt jealousy towards the three other boys for always being the ones the attention was focused on. Never did he let James, Sirius or Remus know of this, allowing his brooding to grow over the years that had already passed and the years that were to come.

These were the Marauders. Between them they pulled some of the most memorable pranks ever seen before at Hogwarts and they discovered more about the castle than any other student, and this was all within their first few years of school. They were popular, confidant, good-looking, and intelligent (Peter obviously less so) and everyone in the school, both students and teachers, even those who didn't teach them, knew of them by the time they had finished their fourth year.

Of course, there were some people at Hogwarts who weren't impressed with the immature antics of the Marauders. Lily Evans certainly wasn't; she found their pranks not only immature but sometimes spiteful and nasty, particularly the ones that were taken out on Severus. James Potter and Sirius Black were no more than a couple of bullies in her eyes and never once did she laugh along with the crowd when Potter and Black had done another stupid stunt which had given them detention. It made her wonder why someone like Remus Lupin was always seen with this pair of toerags as Remus couldn't be more opposite to them both in personality and in maturity. When she asked him about this, Remus hadn't been clear with his answer, only saying, 'You can never tell who your friends are until you look past what you see in front of you.' Lily had never been sure what Remus had meant by this; all she could tell was that something must have happened which made these three boys such good friends.

Not all students, however, were lucky enough to have as stronger friendship as the Marauders did. The other Slytherins in their year found Severus Snape just as much as of an oddball as the rest of the year did. They certainly disapproved of the friendship he had with Lily and so over the years it was put under great strain. He wanted to keep his friendship with Lily but he also wanted, maybe slightly more, to be accepted by his fellow Slytherins and as a result his interest in the Dark Arts grew as he got older. He'd always liked the slightly more sadistic jinxes and hexes and it was his knowledge of these which made people like Avery and Mulciber hang out with him. Unfortunately his increased interest in this affected his relationship with Lily; every so often she would catch him and one of the other Slytherins jinxing one of the younger students and Severus could always see the disappointment evident in her green eyes but Severus never had the courage to stand up to the others, thus continuing in what he deemed as harmless laughs.

The friendships between the different Hogwarts Houses were the same as ever; while the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were more than happy to mingle with each other, going to their common rooms for parties or meeting up at mealtimes and out of class, the Slytherins remained hostile to all those who they, like Salazar Slytherin, believed were below them because they didn't have as pure blood as they did (though not all Slytherins themselves were half-blood or more). Only once in a while did a friendship between Slytherin and one of the Houses crop up but, similar to Severus and Lily's friendship, they ended pretty soon as their friends from their respective Houses disapproved of it. However, not all these friendships turned out this way.

As the youngest member of the Marauders and the only girl, as she got older Tala began to divert away from the boys and her brother as she became more independent though at times it was clear Tala was more of a Marauder than she let on. On numerous occasions she had shown her creativity when it came to pranks, coming up with some hilarious tricks in James and Sirius's opinions; it was just unfortunate the majority of times she used them on either James or Sirius whenever they made yet another gibe that a girl could never prank as well as a guy could, resulting in a number of incidents when James and Sirius were made a mockery out of in the middle of the common room, whoever hadn't been on the receiving end of the trick (normally James) laughing along with the rest of the House. Tala would never prank someone for no reason; she only made a special exception when it came to James and Sirius, this eventually leading to her and Sirius having a competitive streak between them to see who could pull the best prank on James. Besides this, Tala's friendship with Lily and Alice grew. While she was comfortable with her friends Lottie and Rachel, Tala always felt more comfortable confiding in Lily, not to mention Lily was always impressed at the way Tala could handle Potter and Black.

This diversion away from the Marauders was what led to her friendship with another boy in her year, Regulus. Tala only ever had Potions and, come third year, Care of Magical Creatures with Regulus but every time she saw him, since the day they first met on the train, Tala always gave Regulus a smile before continuing her conversation with her friends or her work in class. The smiles were always returned by Regulus and that was the extent of their friendship. They hardly ever spoke as both were aware of the tensions between the Houses, particularly with Gryffindor and Slytherin, but it didn't stop the smiles the shared.

A smile always came to Regulus's face whenever he saw the red head girl that had helped him on his first train journey to Hogwarts. Having learnt her name was Tala halfway through their first year, after that Regulus always looked forward to his Potions lessons just so he could share another smile with her, later also in Care of Magical Creatures in his third year. Of course, Regulus wasn't stupid enough to mention Tala to his parents. If they found out he had an acquaintance (he wouldn't ever use friend in his parents' presence) in Gryffindor, he'd be on the receiving end of his father's hand like Sirius was all the time at home. Regulus shared his parents' views on blood purity and wizard pride but this friendship was just one he couldn't help, especially after their third year as there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other.

All the students at Hogwarts were aware of Voldemort's pursuit for power from the articles being published in the _Daily Prophet_ and that the Ministry's attempts were doing very little to stop it and protect the wizard community. Voldemort did not fear the Ministry; there was only one man he feared and that was Albus Dumbledore. Already the Order of the Phoenix had gained twenty or so loyal members and they were steadily reducing the number of successful attacks Voldemort's followers, or Death Eaters, had performed. It was only in late April during the Marauder's fourth year and Tala's third that Voldemort discovered it was Dumbledore leading this rebellion stopping his Death Eaters. This enraged Voldemort and so he attacked Dumbledore where he knew it would hurt him the most: the students at Hogwarts.

Another day, another day's worth of lessons had been sat through by all the students attending Hogwarts. Now, the evening slipping in, the students had congregated in the Great Hall for dinner, conversing happily with each other about the day's events or the latest Quidditch match of Gryffindor against Ravenclaw. Halfway down the Gryffindor table, one voice rang out the most as James Potter described to his friends Sirius, Remus, Peter and Tala how he'd scored eleven out of the seventeen goals during their latest match, helping Gryffindor win three hundred and twenty points to Ravenclaw's two hundred and fifty. Sirius and the others listened with little interest having actually been there and seen the match for themselves, however, none of them would ever attempt to stop James whenever he was talking about Quidditch.

All of a sudden, a loud bang sounded from outside the castle. The Hall fell silent almost instantly before a murmur began around the students as they asked each other what the noise could have possibly been. The teachers gathered up at the staff table too were sharing in these confused murmurs. James glanced around the Hall then at his fellow Marauders.

'What d'you s'pose that was?' he asked.

'Maybe Hagrid walked into the front doors without opening them first,' shrugged Sirius.

'I don't know, it sounded more like a gunshot,' said Remus. James, Sirius and Tala all looked at him strangely, one of the numerous times they did whenever Remus spouted some random piece of information from his Muggle Studies class. 'A gun is a metal instrument that Muggles use to kill each other by firing little lumps of metal called bullets. You really should have done Muggle Studies. It's very interesting.'

'No way, Remus,' laughed Sirius. 'I'm happy with a couple of dos subjects like Divination and Care of Magical Creatures.'

'Says you who managed to get bitten by a Flobberworm,' muttered Tala. Sirius shot her a glare. Tala merely smiled back, her eyebrow raised as if to challenge him to contradict her.

'Death Eaters! Death Eaters! They're advancing on the school!'

Every student in the Hall as Mr Pringle's voice bellowed out as he came running into the room. Every pair of eyes, both student and teacher watched as he ran up the middle aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables towards the staff table.

'Death Eaters!' he shouted once again.

At once an uproar started. Students started screaming and yelling in fear at the thought of Lord Voldemort's followers advancing up the dark grounds towards the school. The teachers were all on their feet, also adding to the commotion by shouting for instructions to calm the students from their Houses. James and the others just looked at the commotion going on around them, each of them wondering why the Death Eaters had decided to attack the school or what to do now.

'Silence!' Dumbledore shouted. The Hall immediately fell silent and every single student's face turned to face the staff table. Professor Dumbledore had risen from his seat in the middle of the staff table; his blue eyes travelled over the students from behind his half-moon spectacles, the twinkle replaced by the severest of looks. 'Everyone will please remain calm and not panic,' said Dumbledore loudly and clearly, his tone more commanding than any of the students had ever heard before. 'Prefects are to lead all students to the dormitories. All students will remain in their common rooms until their Head of House informs them otherwise. Teachers and I will proceed to the grounds to put a stop to the Death Eaters advances.'

Shouts from the prefects of each House were the next to be heard. James turned and looked at the others.

'Come on,' he said. The five of them joined the flow of students out of the Hall. 'The sooner we're back in the Tower, the better.' Sirius nodded.

'Yeah, we do _not_ want to be around when the Death Eaters get here,' he muttered, having previously met some of Voldemort's followers when they appeared at his doorstep to invite his family to join their cause.

James and Sirius led their way up the Hall, Peter hurrying after them, and Remus struggling to keep up at the back with a tight grip on Tala's hand to keep her close to him so she didn't get lost in the crowd. This was not a good time for him as the full moon was less than three days away and he was already getting weaker. The last thing he wanted was to get caught up in a Death Eater attack. The throng of people flowing out the doors all at once was so strong it was easy to get lost in. Outside, though mostly covered by the noise of the students, shouts could be heard from the advancing Death Eaters and voices of the teachers starting to defend the school; jets of coloured light shot past the windows as spells and curses started from either side causing more screams from the younger students.

Slytherins started to head for the dungeons while the Hufflepuffs took a passage just up from the marble staircase. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws carried on to the changing staircase. Students were pushing and shoving at each other desperate to get back to the safety of their common rooms having only so far heard of the terrible things the Death Eaters had done, not wanting to see them. James and Sirius forced their way through the crowd on the changing staircase so they, Peter, Remus and Tala could get through, being shoved around from all directions. But before they'd even reached the fourth floor, Remus felt Tala's hand slip from his grasp and she was caught in the flow of other students. Having always been so thin and small Tala was easily pushed around by the students surrounding her and she was knocked to the floor, her hand slipping from Remus's grasp, someone's foot then hitting her face and knocking her unconscious.

'Tala!' Remus shouted when he realised. 'Tala! James, Sirius, Tala's gone!'

Remus started to make his way back through the crowd to find her but James and Sirius grabbed his arms and pulled him back. Remus struggled against them but they wouldn't let go. He couldn't leave Tala on her own; he promised himself after what happened when they were younger that he would always protect Tala and with Death Eaters in the grounds, Remus dread to think what kind of trouble Tala could get into. His brown eyes scanned the crowd but he couldn't see Tala in amongst the other Gryffindors anywhere.

'Remus, we've got to get to the Tower,' said Sirius. 'Tala will be OK. She knows to get back to the Tower so we'll find her when we get back.'

'I can't leave her,' he snapped back. 'You don't understand −!'

'Remus, move!' ordered James.

Reluctantly, Remus let James and Sirius pull him onwards up the changing staircases. There was no sign whatsoever of Tala. Already Remus's worry for his little sister was getting the better of him but she just seemed so delicate to him. All he could do was hope she would make it back to the Tower in time in case the Death Eaters managed to get into the castle. With one last desperate glance, Remus followed after James, Sirius and Peter. The four of them made it back to the Tower with the rest of the House and took their favourite seats in the corner to wait. The common room was full of anxious faces waiting to see what was going to happen and whether the Death Eaters were gone yet. The younger students displayed their fear the most by whispering to their friends while the older sixth and seventh years sat in silence, waiting.

It had been nearly fifteen minutes since James, Sirius and Remus had got back to the Tower. Tala, however, was still not back. Remus stared at the portrait hole waiting for the moment her small form would appear at it in between glancing at her group of friends on the other side of the common room in case he'd missed her coming inside only to find she wasn't there. _If she's not with them then she'd be with us_, he thought worriedly but Tala wasn't with them either. As the minutes passed Remus got more and more worried, his headache from his symptoms getting worse, until he couldn't wait any longer.

'That's it,' said Remus finally. He got up from his seat and started towards the portrait hole. 'I'm going after her.'

'Remus!' shouted James. Both he and Sirius sprang to their feet and grabbed him. They caught Remus's arms and held him back, Remus feebly fighting against them.

'Let go of me!' he growled. 'I have to find my sister!'

'Remus, hang on a moment,' insisted James. 'Just think this through!'

'Get off me!' snapped Remus, the uncontrollable wolfish anger he had inside him beginning to leak out; it always did when it was nearing the full moon. 'I'm going after her whether you like it or not!'

'Oh no, you're not,' said Sirius firmly. He moved in front of Remus and put his restraining hands on either shoulder while James held Remus back. Remus glared at his friend, his scowl darker than it would ever normally be. 'You won't stand a chance against Death Eaters. Not with you looking half dead because of your "furry little problem". I'll go after her. Besides, I know more of the secret passageways so I can hide easier than you.'

Before Remus had the chance to reply, Sirius had already made his way through the crowded common room and out of the portrait hole. He ran straight towards the secret passageway he knew to lie between the seventh and fourth floors; it was around that area on the changing staircase that was roughly where Remus had noticed Tala go missing. He ran as fast as he could, his eyes searching everywhere for any glimpse of Tala. Years ago Sirius never thought he'd see himself being so worried about someone's sibling considering his relationship with Regulus. But this was Tala and for some reason something inside Sirius was telling him he just had to find her.

The whole school was empty when Tala awoke, only the muffled sounds of the battle outside telling her the existence of other people. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the floor on the changing staircase, recalling she had been knocked out by the rush of students trying to get to the dorms and separated from Remus and the others. Shakily, Tala stood up and looked around. Hogwarts had never seemed so eerie to her before. There was no one about and she couldn't hear anything, not even Peeves which was a first. She decided it was best not to hang around so, working out which she was on the third floor, Tala turned into the corridor to head for a secret passageway Sirius had shown her which led to the fifth floor. The eerie feeling she had earlier came back, this time much worse.

'Hello little girl,' said a voice from behind.

Tala spun round. Standing in the archway between the staircase and corridor was a tall, dark-haired man in his early twenties, his cold eyes staring down on her. He wore long black robes with the hood down, his dark brown hair tied in a ponytail; a white mask covered the top half of his face yet his grey eyes could still be seen glinting from behind it. So this was one of Voldemort's followers: a Death Eater. And it wasn't just one; a second older one appeared by his side. This one had short blond hair but his eyes were just as merciless, dressed in the same black robes and mask as his companion. Tala froze in fear at the sight of the two men bearing down on her.

'Looks like we'll get to kill someone tonight after all,' said the blond. Tala swallowed, fear evident in her eyes. The man chuckled. He took another step towards Tala. She backed away one slow step at a time. 'Go on, scream …' said the dark-haired Death Eater softly, taunting her. 'But no one will hear …'

Tala couldn't scream. She was too terrified. The Death Eaters just laughed at her before advancing together and drawing their wands. The dark-haired one raised his so it pointed at her chest, the curse already on his lips. Tala closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of his spell.

'_Stupefy!_'

Tala screamed as a red spark hit the back of one of the Death Eaters and he fell to the ground; the other span round looking for the source of the Stunner. Opening her eyes, Tala saw it was Regulus. He was standing just at the entrance to the corridor where the Death Eaters had previously been. He'd snuck out of the Slytherin common room to check to see if the Death Eaters were still about only to find a couple had snuck into the castle. He'd followed them at a distance to see where they were headed so he could tell Professor Slughorn but when he saw they had corner Tala, he had to do something.

'Tala, run!' he shouted before firing another Stunner at the Death Eater still on his feet.

The Death Eater saw the Stunner just in time and threw himself out of its path; while he was distracted Tala turned and ran for it down the third floor corridor, Regulus following her as he ran past the incapacitated Death Eaters. The two of them ran down the corridor as fast as they could and into another. All they hoped was that they would lose them. They could hear the shouts of the Death Eaters echoing in the silence followed by two pairs of footsteps thundering over the stone. The other Death Eater had obviously been revived.

'What should we do?' gasped Tala as Regulus pulled her behind a pillar to hide.

'I don't know,' said Regulus. He looked around the corridor. The footsteps of the Death Eaters were getting closer. They were close to the other third floor entrance to the changing staircase. If they could make it in time, then they would be able to lose them on the stairs as they paths changed making it harder to get to the floor you want. 'Come on.'

Regulus took Tala's hand and pulled her onwards and back to the changing staircase. Their footsteps echoed through the empty passage, the Death Eaters right behind them. After a few minutes, Tala and Regulus reached the staircases. They had only just got up the first when the Death Eaters appeared.

'Get them!' one of them shouted.

'Come on!' shouted Regulus.

Tala and Regulus froze when the staircase they were on suddenly began to change, the Death Eaters just below them. Without thinking, Regulus pushed Tala forwards so she landed on the higher platform just in time. Then, he ran forwards and leapt off the staircase before it pulled away completely. Regulus caught the very edge with his hands as the previous flight of steps moved away, fighting to keep his grip. Tala looked back to see him hanging on. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up. Across from them the Death Eaters were running up the stairs they had previously been on so as to reach another which would get them closer to where Tala and Regulus were on the fourth floor.

It seemed for once the changing staircase was on the student's side instead of changing so that they got further away from their destination. Tala and Regulus ran as fast as they could, the Death Eaters still chasing them, up the stairs managing to get to the staircase between the fifth and sixth floor which Tala knew to have a trick step in the middle. The Death Eaters were still on the fourth, trying to find one up to the next floor. Tala ran and jumped over the trick stair, and proceeded upwards. However, Regulus didn't know about the stair having never needed to go past the fifth floor before and his leg sunk into the stone. Tala looked back just in time to see the Death Eaters reach the fifth floor base of the staircase they were on.

'Help me!' shouted Regulus. He tried to pull his leg free but couldn't. Tala ran down to him and took hold of him under the arms and pulled but she wasn't strong enough to get him free on her own.

'You've come to the end of the road, witchlings!' Tala and Regulus looked up to see the Death Eaters advancing slowly up to them. They both had their wands drawn, one pointing at each of them. Regulus's heart lurched while Tala felt hers stop. 'Say goodbye to Hogwarts.'

A bright red, blade-like, flash came bursting out of the Death Eater's wand from his non-verbal curse and sped towards Tala and Regulus. Regulus tried in vain to pull himself free but it was no use; behind him Tala threw her arms around his neck in order to protect him, believing that if she tried they'd both be all right. A bright blue shield suddenly encircled the two thirteen year-olds and the spell was backfired. Tala heard the shouts of the Death Eaters as they dodged the curse and looked up to see the shield around them. She jumped in surprise and it instantly vanished.

More shouts could now be heard in the school. Their shouts had aroused the teachers and footsteps and voices were coming from somewhere below where they were between the fifth and sixth floor. Seeing their chance, Tala hauled Regulus from the trick step and they continued upwards. They ran into a deserted corridor on the sixth floor. They could hear the Death Eater's shouts below as the teachers sent them away. They didn't stop running though, not until they were sure they were safely hidden behind a large statue where they stood panting from the run. Tala leant back against the wall, her head back to try and slow her breathing while Regulus had slumped on the floor at her feet. He'd never done this much exercise in his life, not even when he and Sirius were fighting and Sirius was chasing him around Grimmauld Place.

Once she had her breath back, Tala glanced at Regulus.

'Thanks,' she breathed. 'I never thought I'd be saved by a Slytherin.' Regulus looked across at her.

'Same here,' replied Regulus, smiling at her. 'You're not bad for a Gryffindor. We make a pretty good team.'

Tala laughed half-heartedly, 'Better not let anyone in Slytherin hear you say that.'

'Yeah.' Regulus sighed then forced himself back to his feet. He stowed his wand back in his pocket then wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand. 'Those Death Eaters really don't take any prisoners,' he muttered. 'We were lucky we got out of there.'

'Yeah.' Tala straightened up, finally able to breathe normally again. 'I guess they don't care who they hurt.' Tala looked up at Regulus and smiled. 'I'm so glad my Dad refused to join them.'

Regulus didn't say anything to this and merely turned away. He knew full well what his father's views were on Voldemort and the Death Eaters and he wasn't stupid enough like Sirius to try and go against them. Tala noticed this.

'Is everything OK?' she asked him. Regulus looked at her.

'Yeah,' he said. 'I just − I think we should probably get back to our common rooms.'

'Hmm, that would be a wise idea,' agreed Tala. 'Well, thanks again for saving me, Regulus. They probably would have killed me if it wasn't for you.'

'Right back at you,' said Regulus, grinning, and when Tala smiled back at him, Regulus knew this was a girl he was glad he saved.

Sirius looked everywhere for Tala on the lower floors. He'd heard noises coming from the changing staircase and had resorted to using the passageways to get about without the Death Eaters detecting him. Tala was nowhere to be seen. Worried, Sirius started back up towards the seventh floor. Maybe she'd got back while he'd been searching for her? The shouts of the changing staircase finally died away as Sirius made his way back so he braved taking a look. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick were all gathered there; it looked like some Death Eaters must have escaped them judging by the few burning portraits there were, the inhabitants around them wailing and crying in distraught.

'Bloody paintings,' muttered Sirius.

He turned back into the corridor of the third floor. It was probably a wiser idea to stay out of sight of the teachers or they'd think he'd been up to something while the Death Eaters were about. He proceeded up a staircase behind a tapestry, emerging a few minutes later on the sixth floor. That was when he turned into the corridor to go back to the changing staircase. By now the teachers would have gone to discuss the attack no doubt so he'd be safe enough on the last bit back to the seventh floor. He stopped though when he heard voices coming from behind a statue just up the corridor from him.

'I think we should probably get back to our common rooms.'

'Hmm, that would be a wise idea.'

That was Tala's voice. Instantly Sirius sped up and ran down the corridor towards it.

Tala and Regulus stood there for a moment or two, each waiting for the other to turn away to go back to their common room. When neither did, they both laughed awkwardly at the situation. Tala felt a small blush appear in her cheeks while Regulus looked down at his shoes, scuffing the floor with them. Just then, a new voice started down the end of the corridor.

'Tala!'

Regulus and Tala looked up to see Sirius running towards them up the corridor. The look on his face was one she'd never seen before; it looked almost of pure hatred. Tala had never seen Sirius look so angry before. His neat hair seemed to stand on end and his grey eyes flashed with malice. Regulus, however, was unsurprised. Sirius had their father's temper though at the moment it was still only half of what rage Orion Black could muster. He just glared back, thinking, _Why did he have to appear?_ They had everything under control.

'Tala, thank Merlin you're all right,' said Sirius, walking up to her. He pulled her into a quick hug, glad she was all right. Regulus's glare remained as he watched Sirius hug Tala, a deep desire to hit his brother rising in his stomach. 'I don't know what I'd do if –' Sirius hastily stopped himself when he heard those words. They didn't sound like him at all. 'Remus thought the Death Eaters had got you.'

'You're Lupin's sister?' blurted out Regulus before he could stop himself. Sirius had mentioned many times of a guy called Remus in his year to his parents, only making them angrier at the fact he was in Gryffindor. Tala looked at him confused while Sirius finally noticed him standing next to her.

'What are you doing here, Regulus?' Sirius snarled at him. He looked down on his younger brother, an irritated look on his face. 'I wouldn't have thought _you'd_ want to be seen with a Gryffindor.'

'I'm doing nothing, Sirius,' said Regulus, equally as angry. 'But for your information, I just saved your friend's sister from the two Death Eaters who'd cornered her. But it's not like you're ever going to thank me for that.'

'Oh, I really believe that, Regulus,' said Sirius dismissively. 'You believe Mum and Dad's opinion of pure-blood supremacy and that all Muggle-borns and half-breeds are scum. Like you'd ever save a Gryffindor.'

Tala gasped and stared at Regulus.

'You're Sirius's brother?' she asked him but Sirius replied.

'Yeah, that's my brother,' said Sirius disdainfully. Regulus's glare deepened. He then turned to Tala. 'Come on. James, Remus and Peter are back in the Tower. We better get back or Remus will do his nut.'

Sirius put his arm round Tala's waist and got her moving towards the changing staircase. The anger inside him was still bubbling fiercely but he held it in now that he knew Tala was safe. Like Regulus had ever saved her from the Death Eaters. It was probably him who got her mixed up in it. Tala glanced up at Sirius as he got her moving. The glare was still on his face, darkening his normally quite kind and amused features. She'd never seen him so angry like this before. Tala then glanced back at Regulus. He was staring at them, an odd look of longing in his eye.

Regulus watched as Sirius led Tala away. A strange feeling ached in his chest as he watched their retreating forms, Sirius's arm round Tala. He saw Tala glance back at him, the feeling lifting slightly.

'Bye,' she mouthed to him.

'Bye,' Regulus mouthed back before turning in the opposite direction to get back to the Slytherin common room.

There are some things you can't go through together without becoming friends afterwards, and this was one of them. After that, Tala and Regulus's friendship grew through their small meetings with each other in places like the library and sheltered areas of the grounds and away from Sirius's eyes. Tala didn't want to see that anger in his grey eyes again while Regulus didn't want Sirius having anything to do with their friendship as he knew he would try to stop Tala from seeing him. Sirius's comment about Regulus supporting their parents' views on pure-blood supremacy remained forgotten.

Time. It affects us all in many different ways. While in most instances it is an asset, there are still moments when time is your enemy. And in times of war, there isn't time to stand and watch as the people around us change, only time to act.

* * *

**AN: basically a filler chapter to speed up time to James, Sirius and Remus's fifth year and Tala's fourth so that the fun stuff can begin. well please read and leave me a review telling me what you thought. and do check out my other stories to. cheers. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	14. Changes

Chapter 14

Changes

'I can't wait until we show Remus!' hooted Sirius excitedly.

The exuberant fifteen-year-old leapt down from the seat, his long black hair falling gracefully either side of his face as he sat down beside James. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat allowing him to show off the new muscles in his arms and chest he'd gotten over the summer; unlike for some boys his age, Sirius was lucky enough that it was all natural and had done little to improve it. Beside him, James shared his grin, however, was much more restrained in his shared excitement. He sat relaxed in his seat, his hazel eyes focused through his round glasses at the book in his hands. He too had changed somewhat over the summer; being a Chaser now on the Gryffindor Quidditch team meant James had spent most of the summer practicing and improving his strength and physique for the position, warranting him too receiving some new tone to his chest. His hair had also grown, making it even wilder than it was in previous years. Opposite them sat Peter; bigger in personality though maybe not in height, he stared out of the window as he listened to James and Sirius's conversation.

'He is going to be _so_ impressed when he sees what we've done considering he didn't even think we could do it,' gushed Sirius, 'and Tala! I can't wait to see their expressions when they see what we can do now. I bet you anything Tala is going to be speechless for the first time in her life!'

'Keep your voice down, Sirius,' hissed James. 'We've got to keep this quiet, remember? What we've done isn't exactly legal.'

'Aww, don't be such a worry wizard, James,' said Sirius. 'I'm not going to go telling anyone about this. As much as I like being the centre of the attention, I don't really want the whole of Hogwarts knowing about this.'

'No, but your big mouth might let it slip,' countered James. Sirius glared at him and shoved him on the shoulder. James just smirked.

'I still don't see why we can't tell Remus and Tala on the train though,' grumbled Sirius. He folded his arms and glanced out at the platform for any sign of the last two members of their group. James's parents had dropped the two of them off earlier where they'd met up with Peter. The last few families were saying their goodbyes to each other on the platform. 'Why do we have to wait until we get to Hogwarts? No one's going to care what we're doing in the compartment.'

'Because there isn't enough room for a start,' said James. 'This is something that is better shown than told. They probably wouldn't even believe us if we just told them and didn't offer any proof. You know how much of a sceptic Tala can be. And because we can't let anyone see us. We can't exactly use the Invisibility Cloak for this.' Sirius rolled his eyes and let out a huff. 'Look, we'll tell them as soon as we can when we get back, all right, Sirius? Just have a little patience.'

'Tell us what?' asked a voice.

James, Sirius and Peter all looked up. Remus raised his eyebrow as he leaned against the doorframe to the compartment. Fresh faced from his recovery after the latest full moon, Remus grinned at James and Sirius, the change in his own appearance evident as well having grown a bit over the summer. His long hair fell either side of his face, his brown eyes observing the two troublemakers he had for best friends. Remus walked into the compartment and greeted his friends, taking the free seat next to Peter.

'Mate, what's with your hair?' asked Sirius. 'It's almost as long as mine.'

'It looks like you're going for the hippy style,' said Peter. 'The Muggles from about ten years ago, right?'

Remus laughed, 'Yeah, you got it right, Peter. The Muggle hippies are from the sixties. However, it is not the style I'm going for. Nor am I going for your style either, Sirius, so you can stop flattering yourself.'

'Pardon me for thinking I'd started a trend,' said Sirius in a mock huff.

'The only trend you could set is a detention trend,' retorted Remus, smirking. Sirius huffed, properly this time. James and Peter sniggered.

'He's learning, Sirius,' muttered James. 'Remus may be timid but you've got to admit, he's learning.'

'After four years of hanging around you two, I might have picked up a thing or two,' shrugged Remus.

'Yeah, yeah, so he got one good jibe in,' said Sirius, 'he's still got a long way to catch up. Now back to the point in question, what's with growing your hair, Remus? I thought you were the "neat" one.'

Remus shrugged.

'It's Tala,' he said. 'She's been on a bit of a change of image stint over the holidays and I kind of got roped into it. You know what girls are like. She said I looked too much like our dad and that I should try a new look, hence the longer hair. Tala suggested I tried growing it out. It's not actually that bad.'

'Talking of which, where is Tala?' asked Sirius. He glanced around, having not noticed she wasn't there when Remus first walked in. 'How come she's not with you, Remus? Usually you two are joined at the hip.'

'Ah, Tala saw Lily on the platform and the two went off together,' said Remus. James's ears perked up. 'She shouted something about meeting up with us later.'

'How is old Evans?' asked James, smirking. 'She still as uptight as McGonagall's hair bun or has she decided to loosen up a bit yet?'

A smile turned up the edges of Remus's lips. Just wait until he heard the news that Remus had for them.

'_Lily_ is fine,' he said, emphasising her name in hopes that James would finally start using it. The chances of that were as slim as him and Severus Snape becoming friends. 'She had a good summer from what I heard before she and Tala started talking the way girls talk. As for still being uptight, I wouldn't say Lily was ever uptight.'

'How many times has she got us two into detention?' interjected Sirius.

'Twenty-three times,' piped Peter. Sirius glared at him.

'Point is, Evan's wand has more knots in it than the wood on James's broomstick,' he finished. 'I bet she doesn't even know the meaning of the word fun as she spends so much time ruining ours. If she could, I bet she'd love to put us in detention herself without always having to go to McGonagall to do it.'

A laugh rose in Remus's throat. He quickly put his hand over his mouth to suppress it but already he could feel his shoulders shaking. James, Sirius and Peter looked at each other then back to their snickering friend. It wasn't often that Remus started laughing for no particular reason. Remus tried as best as he could to hold back his laughter but was soon chuckling quite happily to himself much to the bemusement of James, Sirius and Peter.

'Want to let us in on the joke, Remus?' asked James.

'Yeah, what's so funny?' asked Sirius, equally as confused. 'This is very un … Remus-ish.'

Remus looked between his friends and said, in between bursts of laughter, 'Nothing, it's just that … no, I can't … I want to see your faces when you find out …'

'What are you on about?'

It was no use trying to get the reason behind his laughter out of Remus and soon he excused himself saying he needed to find Tala. He got up and opened the door to their compartment, taking a brief glance back at his bemused friends, before disappearing down the corridor to the next carriage.

-o-

Tala and Lily said goodbye to Remus as he disappeared down the train and went back inside their carriage. Steadily the train began to pull away from the station, the platform disappearing in the cloud of smoke issuing from the Hogwarts Express. Lily watched silently through the window, her green eyes burning with excitement and a smile on her pale lips. She just knew this school year was going to be the best so far. Her attention was drawn away when she heard footsteps pass their compartment. Lily looked up to see Severus and a couple of his Slytherin friends walk by. Their eyes met briefly before Severus looked away and walked off. The smile faded from Lily's face. Tala noticed this. She took the seat next her.

'How's it going with Severus or should I not ask?' she said quietly.

Lily sighed, 'I've tried talking to him but it's no use. He's being as immature as Potter and Black act and by retaliating he's only encouraging them and I've told him that but he won't listen. He's not going to stop.' Lily glanced out the window. 'Sometimes I wonder if our friendship means anything to him,' she muttered. 'He knows how I feel about his friends and using Dark magic but still he insists that it's only harmless fun. But that doesn't change what he's doing and it's wrong. I just wish he could see that.'

'Sometimes it's hard for boys to see what's really in front of them,' said Tala. 'They just need someone to open their eyes.'

'Well as long as he keeps hanging around those pair of bullies Avery and Wilkes, I doubt he's going to see it any time soon,' muttered Lily. She glanced at Tala. Seeing her concern, Lily gave her a smile then said, 'I'm cool with it, Tal. I've had four years to get use to Severus being a different person to who I met. Don't worry about it.'

Lily could see Tala wasn't convinced. Since meeting her, Lily had learnt that Tala was more perceptive than she appeared. On more than one occasion Tala had mentioned in passing something one day then a few days later, it would occur. Lily simply took it to being another one of the many differences between the wizard and Muggle worlds. Of course, Lily wasn't aware of the premonitions that Tala received. It was only in the last few months or so Tala herself had realised what the mental flashes she received were, like the one she received during her Sorting, and they were few and far between, but it didn't mean she couldn't use them to her advantage once in a while (so long as Remus didn't find out). As this was one of those moments, Lily decided to change the subject.

'So come on, what's with your new look?' she said brightly. 'I thought you enjoyed being the tomboy of your year.'

'I do, you wouldn't catch me dead in the clothes some of the girls in our years wear,' said Tala. 'But I just felt like it was time for a change. Besides I haven't change that much, only my hair mainly. Go for something more … well, me.'

'Well I think it suits you,' said Lily. 'You never know, might even attract a few male eyes too,' Lily added, causing the two of them to start laughing. The subject of boys was a constant source of entertainment to Lily and Tala as neither of them had had any particular interest in dating so far so instead they would joke about what they would do if a guy asked one of them out. Some of the responses in the past had been very entertaining indeed.

'Whatever you do, don't say that in front of Remus,' whispered Tala, once she'd caught her breath again. 'He'd flip his cauldron at the mere mention of me dating.'

'What makes you say that?' asked Lily, intrigued. She knew Remus was a protective brother to Tala but he couldn't stop Tala dating if she wanted to. 'Why would Remus have a problem with you dating?'

'Because that's what big brothers do,' said Tala huffily. She leant back in her seat and crossed her arms. 'You're lucky you don't have an older brother. Over the summer I made a passing comment to Mum that I thought that Ravenclaw Ezra Darko in the year above you was kind of cute and Remus almost choked on his drink. He was coughing for a good two minutes.'

'So I take it Remus wouldn't react well if someone asked you out?'

'Remus wouldn't react well if I so much as developed a crush. He seems to think that because I'm his younger sister, it's not right for me to date. If he could have his way, I bet he wouldn't let me date until I was of age.'

'What about your parents?' Lily asked.

'Dad's all right with the idea of me dating but I think Mum's a bit hesitant,' shrugged Tala. 'That's probably where Remus gets it.'

'It's the complete opposite in my house,' said Lily. 'Dad's the overprotective one whereas Mum's more than happy to meet a potential boyfriend. Mind you, they'd have to be tolerant considering what Petunia's brought home.' Tala looked at Lily inquisitively. 'Petunia's got a new man … or perhaps a new walrus would be more accurate.' Tala couldn't help but let out a snicker at that comment. 'I'm serious!' said Lily. 'The only way to describe Vernon Dursley is like a walrus. He's huge! Not to mention his moustache looks like it could have a life of its own. You should see the two of them together. It's like watching Laurel and Hardy, minus the comedy and with snogging instead.'

'Not an image I want to imagine, Lily,' said Tala straight away, holding up her hands for emphasis. 'And who are Laurel and Hardy?'

'Never mind, the point is I don't see why Remus would mind who you date. Petunia couldn't care less who I was dating. We're all a bunch of freaks to her anyway.'

'Because Tala's too young to be dating, that's why,' said Remus, opening the compartment door. Lily and Tala looked up at him.

'Oh, here we go,' muttered Tala.

'She was only fourteen a couple months ago, Lily,' Remus told her. 'She's starting her OWLs this year. Boys should be the last thing on her mind.'

'_She_ is still in the compartment,' Tala reminded Remus. He glanced at her and smiled. Tala stuck her tongue out at him. Lily laughed.

'So am I to assume it's time for the meeting?' she then asked. 'I take it that's why you're here and not with Potter or Black. Have you told them you're a prefect yet?'

'No, I haven't told them,' said Remus. 'I thought I'd let them find out when we have to take the new first years to the common room. It's more their faces I want to see. It's not that often I get a chance to prank James and Sirius.'

'Oh, don't you start,' said Lily reproachfully. Remus merely smiled.

'It's hardly a prank,' said Tala. 'Not as good as the last one I pulled on Sirius.'

'Admittedly, no,' Remus mused. 'However, it's still going to make their wands spark.'

'How you manage to get away with pranking Potter and Black without them retaliating, I don't know. Still, it would be nice to see something stun Potter and Black into silence for once,' said Lily, getting up. Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. If James and Lily had anything, it was a mutual animosity for each other. 'I'll see you later, Tala.'

'Have fun though I don't see how much it could be,' said Tala.

Lily grinned at Tala then she and Remus left the compartment.

It was dark by the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station at Hogsmeade and James and Sirius were still none the wiser about Remus's new position, having assumed that while he was patrolling he'd been with Tala until he returned. Once at the station the four friends, dressed in their school robes, got a carriage up to the school along with some of their fellow Gryffindors, while further up the platform Tala and Lily met up with Alice and got another. The horseless carriages travelled up the hill towards the castle, a welcome sight to any Hogwarts student.

'Ah, I've missed this,' sighed James happily, looking round the Great Hall. The night sky that the ceiling of the Hall reflected was as pleasant as ever, not a cloud in the sky but millions of stars shining in the dark sea, the dozens of candles that helped brighten the Hall floating below. He, Sirius, Remus and Peter walked down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables and took a couple of seats. 'It's good to be back here at last.'

'Tell me about it,' said Sirius. 'I thought I'd go mad in Grimmauld Place. My cousin Narcissa got engaged over the summer to that Malfoy bloke, the Slytherin blondie, remember? Mum and Dad were unbearable with how pleased they were that she was making a healthy, respectable pure-blood marriage to another Slytherin.'

'Sucks to be you,' muttered James. Sirius nodded grimly.

Hush soon fell over the Great Hall as the doors opened and Professor McGonagall led the way down the central aisle, all the new and scared looking first year students following behind her. They walked up to the front where the stool had been placed, an old hat sitting on top of it. In the centre of the teacher's table, Professor Dumbledore had risen to his feet, his arms outstretched as he addressed the school.

'To all returning students, welcome back,' he said. 'And to all new students, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where you will for the next seven years be guided in the magical arts. I trust you will all settle in with no problems. A few notes though before the Sorting begins. The Forest on the borders of the school is strictly out of bounds to all students,' James and Sirius grinned at each other, 'and our caretaker, Mr Filch has reminded me for the however many times it is now as I have currently lost count that no magic is allowed in the corridors and between classes. Professor McGonagall, if you please.'

'Does he ever change that speech?' whispered Sirius as Professor McGonagall began the Sorting of the new students. 'I swear that's the same one he said back when we were those ickle first years.'

'Don't call them "ickle", Sirius,' said Remus, though slightly amused by the comment. 'You were that short once.'

'Me? No way, I was never that short.'

'Some of us _are_ still that short,' muttered Peter.

James and Sirius sniggered. Remus rolled his eyes then turned away to watch the rest of the Sorting, James and Sirius meanwhile muttering in the background that they wished the Sorting would hurry up so they could eat. Not long after (though to James and Sirius it felt like an eternity) the new students had all been Sorted into the four Houses and Dumbledore announced the feast. Piles of food magically appeared on the tables before them and the students all tucked in to a well needed meal, the buzz of talk rising again in the Hall. Once the first course had been finished the empty dishes were replaced with an array of deserts.

'Treacle tart, my favourite,' said James, helping himself to a second slice. The four boys were still sat at the Gryffindor table. The Hall was slowly beginning to empty as the students returned to their various common rooms.

'Aren't you full yet?' asked Remus. 'I've never seen someone eat as much as you, except Sirius perhaps.'

'Nothing wrong with a healthy appetite,' said Sirius. Remus cringed.

'Nor is there anything wrong with talking when your mouth isn't full of food,' he muttered. He then glanced down the table. Further down he caught Lily's eye. She nodded her head towards the end of the table where all the new first years were sitting, all of which looked rather nervous about what to do. 'As much as I'd love to continue this conversation with Sirius's half chewed dinner,' continued Remus, getting to his feet, 'I've got to go show the new first years how to get to the common room.'

'Why bother?' asked Sirius. 'That's the prefect's job, isn't it? Frank'll be doing it.'

'But Frank's already gone,' said Peter. James and Sirius looked at each other. Remus remained silent. It was obvious though when the Knut had dropped. James and Sirius looked at Remus in horror.

'What!' they gasped simultaneously. 'You're a prefect?'

'How could you?' said James. It was the ultimate crime in their opinion.

'You've broken the code!' said Sirius.

'What code?' Remus asked curiously. He was more than amused at their reaction. 'There's no code.'

'No code? Of course there is! The one where we don't become anything that could hinder our mischief!' Sirius gave Remus a sincere nod. 'How are we going to pull pranks when you're meant to be stopping us?'

'It just means you two toerags will have to give it up,' said another smug voice. James groaned.

'Evans, can't you keep your nose out of other people's −'

James looked up to face the arrival of the permanent thorn in his side only to stop dead in his tracks. His eyes widened in awe at the girl now standing beside Remus, taking in every vital detail. Her hair had grown longer over the summer now reaching past her shoulders and falling elegantly either side of her face in a way his hair never hoped to; she had grown taller too, not to mention the new subtle curves of her body evident beneath her school uniform; her skin was pale, ivory almost in colour, making her look fragile and delicate; finally, James's eyes met hers, a blaze so strong and wilful in those startling emerald eyes as she looked back at him. This couldn't be the same Lily Evans … could it?

'− business …' James finished rather weakly.

'Seeing as I've got to set an example to the younger students, no I can't,' replied Lily.

'So are we to assume you've got the other prefects badge,' asked Sirius. Lily nodded. 'I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you then, Lily Flower. Looks like you just can't keep away from us.' Sirius grinned. Lily glared at him.

'In your dreams, Black,' snapped Lily. 'And _don't_ call me "Lily Flower".'

With that Lily turned away and walked towards the first years, Sirius shouting 'You know you love us really!' after her. Remus glanced at him and shook his head, then followed after her.

'Can you believe that, James?' asked Sirius when they'd gone. 'Both Remus and Evans are prefects. James?'

'James?' Peter and Sirius glanced at each other when James didn't respond. He was still staring in the direction Lily had left. 'Are you all right, James?' asked Peter.

'Somebody pinch me,' breathed James, completely oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from the other two. 'OW! I didn't mean seriously!'

'Well, you know I'm always Sirius.' James rolled his eyes. That running gag still hadn't ended. 'So, er, had someone placed an Immobilising Charm on you or something?'

'Huh?' James gave Sirius a strange look. Sirius cocked his eyebrow back at him. 'What makes you say that?'

'Oh, just the fact your eyes seemed to be glued to Evans the entire time she was standing next to Remus. Either that or you were checking her out.'

James gave Sirius a shocked look.

'Checking out Evans? Are you mad?'

'I don't blame you if you were,' shrugged Sirius, ignoring James's last comment. 'I mean, you've got to admit, I've never seen the school uniform look that good on someone before.'

James stared at Sirius completely baffled by his bold statement. He only looked away when out of the corner of his eye he spied Evans and Remus walk back up the aisle past where they were sitting, the new first years following quickly behind. For a brief moment their eyes met but Lily quickly looked away again. James tore his eyes away only to see the smug look on Sirius's face had got larger. Even Peter was joining in now and had an equally pleased grin on his face.

'So … d'you like what you see?' asked Sirius.

'I − er, well she −' stammered James. He cleared his throat and tried again. 'She's changed a bit over the summer.'

'Hmm, changed is one way you can put it,' said Sirius, nodding sagely. James hated it whenever Sirius tried to be "wise" like that. 'Developed is another way.'

'Don't be crass, Sirius,' sighed James. He got to his feet ready to leave. 'I know your mind's usually in the gutter but are you able to say anything without putting a lewd spin on it?'

'It's not what I say, it's how you interpret it,' corrected Sirius. James rolled his eyes. Sirius and Peter got up and the three of them left the Great Hall to return to the Gryffindor Tower. 'I was just saying that Evans has developed over the holidays. Surely you noticed the changes with keen eyes like yours.'

'Well, yeah, I mean her hair's grown longer and − and she was wearing a bit more makeup than usual,' James stumbled, trying to avoid the obvious answer. Sirius gave James a pointed look. 'OK, so I was checking her out. There's no harm in that.'

A small heat had begun to rise in James's cheeks so he sped up. He paced quickly up the stairs towards the seventh floor and through the corridors to the portrait of the Fat Lady, briskly saying the password then climbing inside, Sirius and Peter entering a few minutes afterwards to find James already sitting in their favourite chairs in the corner. They went over and joined him as Sirius was not about to end _this_ conversation.

'And?' he asked eagerly. 'Does she come up to James Potter's standards?'

'What does it matter if she comes up to my standards or not?' said James irritated. 'D'you think I'd really want to date Evans? She's got "high maintenance" stamped all over her.'

'But you still think she's hot.'

Again, James didn't reply straight away. This was not a conversation he wanted to have and certainly not with Sirius who would just make fun of him. Why would he suddenly develop interest in Lily Evans when she had gone out of her way in the past to ruin all of his fun with his friends anyway? Although he couldn't really deny it; she had changed _a lot _over the summer and she was the only girl James had ever seen make the Hogwarts uniform look half decent on them. Then there was her hair, the richest colour red James had ever seen even though loads of his family had had red hair. And her eyes … those emerald eyes … never had James seen a pair of eyes as deep as hers, the blaze of Lily's spirit within them …

James let out a groan, 'All right, yes! I think she looks hot. Is that what you wanted me to say, Sirius? Yes, I think she's hot.'

'You think who's hot?' came Remus's voice. James, Sirius and Peter looked up. Remus raised an eyebrow at them and took the empty seat next to Peter having finished dealing with the new first years.

'Nobody,' said James instantly.

'Peter and I beg to differ,' chimed Sirius. Remus glanced at him. Sirius grinned as he proudly said, 'Jamesie here has got the hots for Evans.'

'What?' said Remus surprised. 'Sirius, that has got to be the most ridiculous thing you have ever said.'

'Thank you, Remus,' said James. He was glad to have someone on his side.

'D'you not see how much James and Lily fight?' he continued. 'I can't honestly believe that that would ever happen.'

'It's true, Remus,' said Peter. 'He was staring at her when she was talking to us earlier.'

'Yeah, he was checking her out,' added Sirius. _He really is like a dog with a bone_, thought James. 'And he's blushing.'

'I'm not blushing!' shouted James although he couldn't help but feel the heat in his cheeks.

Remus looked between his three friends, his eyes going to James last. No one was more perceptive than Remus so when his brown eyes fell on him, James automatically looked away pretending he was interested in the design on the carpet.

'Do you, James?' asked Remus. James willed himself not to respond though he knew in a couple of seconds he would snap. 'Do you think Lily's good looking?'

_Don't answer, don't answer, don't answer_, James told himself over and over again in his head. He had his pride and this was something he didn't want to admit.

'Aww, leave him be, Remus,' sighed Sirius. 'We all know he's got the hots for Evans even if he doesn't want to admit it.' James glared at Sirius out the corner of his eye. Sirius pretended not to notice. 'But let's face it. We all know that Evans would never go out with James no matter how many times he asked her.'

'Not that I'm going to!' snapped James. He silently damned Sirius and his baiting tricks. James fell for them every time but it was usually to get them to pull a prank.

'All right, Sirius,' said Remus resignedly. 'Point proven, James likes how Lily looks now.'

'Damn it!' hissed James under his breath. 'And what d'you mean Evans would never go out with me?'

'Well you're not exactly her favourite person,' said Peter.

'I could give you a whole string of reasons,' said Sirius but Remus cut him off before he could give them.

'James, you know full well Lily's opinion of you,' he said, trying to be diplomatic about it. 'She does find you rather childish at times and what with you and Sirius pranking Severus and vice versa all the time when she and Severus are good friends is not really going to endear her to you.'

'But that just shows I've got a sense of humour,' said James. 'Girls love that, or at least the ones I've dated so far have. That Luciana Macmillan in Hufflepuff loved to hear my jokes.'

'Yeah, it's just a pity her laugh was so irritating,' muttered Sirius. James had to agree with Sirius on that point; it was one of the reasons he'd broken up with her because he couldn't stand that high pitched cackle.

Remus merely smiled.

'I know full well that between you and Sirius, the pair of you are able to attract the majority of the female population of Hogwarts,' he said. James and Sirius grinned at each other. 'But the same charms don't work on every girl. Lily is very different compared to the rest of the year and in all honesty, James, I find it hard to believe that she would ever choose to date you.'

James chose not to dignify Remus's statement with a response. Instead, to show that the conversation had come to a close, he turned away to look round the common room. The new first years were all gathered in a corner together chatting away excitedly in the way they do; the older years meanwhile were just taking it easy for this would be one of their only nights throughout the next year where they wouldn't be sat doing homework. His eyes travelled round the room until they fell upon a group of girls in the opposite corner to where he sat with Sirius and the others. In amongst them were Tala, Alice and, of course, Evans. She was facing away from him as she spoke to Mary Macdonald and Dorcas Meadowes, a couple more of the girls in their year.

James remained quiet as Sirius, Remus and Peter started a new conversation concerning their OWL exams at the end of the year, all the while watching Evans. Every so often she would brush her hair back behind her ear, the red strands shimmering in the light of the common room, or smile as she laughed at whatever one of the other girls said, her pale lips forming one of the kindest smiles James had ever seen. Then there were her eyes, those emerald eyes, which lit up whenever she was happy about something in a way James just wanted to see again and again. Why was he only noticing all of this now? Had Evans been the only girl to completely escape his attention since he first started dating? Because, in all honesty, which he would never admit to Sirius, James couldn't understand how he could have missed it.

There was only one way to describe Lily Evans now in James's thoughts: absolutely beautiful.

'Er, correct me if I'm wrong but I think James is staring at Evans again,' Sirius whispered to Remus and Peter having noticed he was not joining in the conversation. The three of them glanced at him then back at each other.

'Yup, he's staring at her,' confirmed Peter. 'Either that or he's become very interest in that portrait of the wizards playing chess.'

'Nope, it's Lily,' said Remus. He took another quick look at James. Never in their four years at Hogwarts so far had Remus seen James look at a girl in a way like he was looking at Lily now. 'And by the looks of it, he's got it bad.'

It didn't take long for them to get back into the old routine. On Monday morning Remus was left to wake up James, Sirius and Peter and the four of them left for breakfast with the other Gryffindors during which Professor McGonagall handed out their timetables for the year. When the bell went, the four boys headed off for their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year. A few members of their class were already waiting outside by the time James, Sirius, Remus and Peter reached the third floor. While they waited for Professor Lease and the rest of their class to arrive, they chatted happily to one another about their holidays. A few minutes after James and the others had arrived, the Slytherins who they were sharing the class with again this year, began to turn up, the first of which being Severus Snape and, much to James's chagrin, Evans was with him.

James was not the only student in their year who couldn't understand what Evans saw in Snape. He was prying, vile and devious, not to mention he had a great interest in the Dark Arts along with the rest of his Slytherin friends like Avery, Wilkes and Mulciber. James detested the Dark Arts with a passion and believed anyone who practiced it deserved nothing better to be thrown into Azkaban. James just couldn't understand why Evans was friends with him. And for some reason, now it seemed to irritate him even more than before.

The two were deep in conversation when they appeared for Defence Against the Dark Arts. James watched on, his brow furrowed in thought. During their conversation, Snape glanced in their direction, noticing James was watching them. He glared towards him then turned back to Evans, saying something which then in turn caused Evans to look in his direction. James's hand instantly sprung to his hair and he ran his fingers through it, making it even messier than before.

'All right, Evans?' said James, his tone unnaturally smoother than normal. 'Sleep well last night?'

'Yes, thank you,' replied Lily, giving him a strange look in the process. She then turned back to Severus to continue their conversation. James's eyes narrowed in frustration when she turned away.

'So,' he continued, this time walking over to her away from Sirius, Remus and Peter. The three of them watched as he did so. James stood next to her, completely ignoring Snape. He smiled at Evans, putting on his most charming smile. 'Another year of being in class together. Bet you can't wait for that.'

Lily glanced at Severus then back at James. It seemed like not much had changed over the summer with him. He could see perfectly well that Lily was talking with Severus but he was still as rude as ever to just butt in.

'Yes, I'm looking forward to class but unfortunately for you, not so much because you're in it,' said Lily politely. James's grin faltered slightly. 'Now, if you don't mind, Potter, I was talking to Severus before you interrupted.'

'Oh,' said James. He glanced over his shoulder back at Snape who was glaring at him, his sallow face contorted. 'I didn't see you there, Snivellus.'

Snape's face flushed with anger.

'Considering you're as blind as a bat even with your glasses, there's no surprises there, Potter,' he grated. James glared at him. Snape's thin lips twisted briefly into a smirk, happy that he'd got a rise out of him. Lily, however, wasn't impressed. She gave Severus a pointed look.

'Better than having greasy hair,' sneered James. Snape was about to retort again when Lily stopped him.

'Just ignore him, Sev,' Lily told him. She turned away from James and made to return to their previous conversation but James wasn't about to lose her attention that easily.

'Well, actually I had something I wanted to ask you, Evans,' he continued quickly. Lily held in a groan and looked back at him.

'He isn't, is he?' whispered Peter to Sirius and Remus.

'He Merlin well is,' Sirius whispered back.

'I was er wondering if you'd like to perhaps go to Hogsmeade one weekend with me. Hang out and stuff.'

'And he just did,' whispered Remus. All three of them were surprised by James's action.

Lily stared at James. Behind him, Snape's eyes had narrowed and his glare had deepened to the previous one.

'You're asking me out?' said Lily, suspicious of what his intentions were. If James Potter was known for anything around school other than his pranks and bullying, it was for his dating record.

'Yeah, you know, a date,' said James to clarify.

Lily let out a short laugh in amusement. Of all the things she thought James Potter was arrogant enough to do, this was the icing on the cake. James recoiled, startled by her reaction.

'I wouldn't go on a date with you even if you paid me, Potter,' said Lily. 'If it's all the same to you, I don't want to be just another one of the notches on your bedpost. I'd never go out with you.'

The bell rang. Lily instantly walked away into the classroom. Snape followed. He gave James a pleased smirk as he passed then disappeared into the classroom. James remained where he was for a moment or two, completely taken aback. Sirius, Remus and Peter walked over to him.

'You OK, mate?' said Sirius. James had never been turned down before. 'That was pretty harsh.'

'She … turned me down,' said James. He wasn't quite able to believe it. 'Evans turned me down.'

'I did tell you,' said Remus. He patted James consolingly on the back. 'Come on, or we'll be starting the year already with detention for being late.'

After being turned down once, you'd think that would deter James from asking Lily on date again. Of course, that was not the case. For the entire lesson, James stared at the back of Lily's head while he questioned silently why she had turned him down. He just couldn't fathom it; he was James Potter, most girls in the school would do anything for a date with him. So why it was so simple for Lily Evans to turn him down just made him more determined to win her over.

One floor below them in the Charms classroom, Tala and her classmates were also getting back into the swing of things as they sat the first of their OWL classes. Having been set by Professor Flitwick to start work on the Summoning Charm, Tala and her friends were free to catch up with each other as chaos ensued in the classroom with various items flying all over the place as the students Summoned them haphazardly towards them. Every so often an object would go astray as the student pointed their wand too vigorously or wasn't concentrating on what they were doing, even to the point where Professor Flitwick had to leap off his pile of cushions to avoid getting hit.

'I've always loved Charms for the sheer fact it's so chaotic,' laughed Jordan. He ducked as a pair of inkwells suddenly shot over his head. 'Who needs Cheering Charms when you've got this?'

'I know,' agreed Rachel. 'Plus, Flitwick's always so busy trying to control things, he doesn't notice you chatting. Of course,' she then added, pointing her wand at something across the classroom, 'as long as you do the work, you won't get any extra homework. _Accio!_'

The book Rachel had pointed at flew a little too fast towards where she and the other sat catching her unprepared. Instinctively, Tala raised her hand. The book was about to hit then when a bluish shield blurred at the point of contact and the book dropped with a thud on to their desk.

'Whoa, how did you do that, Tala?' asked Lottie. 'You didn't use a spell or anything.'

'That's the thing, I don't know,' said Tala, laughing. 'I did it once during third year and over the summer it happened all the time. Whenever I raise my hands to protect myself that strange shield always appears.'

It was true. Tala had no idea how she was able to produce that shield. Like she said, the first time she produced it was during their third year, the night a gang of Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. She and Regulus Black had been chased by them after he helped her escape when they cornered her in a corridor and Regulus had gotten trapped in the trick stair in the staircase. The shield had appeared by itself when Tala went to help him, protecting the pair of them from the Death Eater's curses. Since then Tala hadn't been able to reproduce it again until the summer holidays. James and Sirius had come over during the holidays and they and Remus had taken advantage of their home to play some Quidditch, despite knowing Remus hated flying. Their Dad had helped them by enchanting some balls for them to play with but James and Sirius had gotten a little too enthusiastic with the ball they were using for a Bludger. It resulted in it being hit towards Tala when she came out to get them for lunch and the shield protected her when put her hands out to stop it.

'It's kind of useful actually,' Tala joked. 'Means if I want to get Remus out of my bedroom, I just had to walk towards him with my hands raised and he'd get pushed out of my room by the shield. He hates it when I do that to him.'

'I wish I could do that to my older brother,' said Jordan. 'He still likes messing my hair and stuff like I'm a little kid and teasing me about being able to do magic. But I'll show him,' Jordan chuckled. 'When I'm of age, he's going to have a nasty surprise in store for him.'

'Ahem.' Tala, Jordan, Rachel and Lottie all jumped and looked over the edge of their desk. Professor Flitwick was looking up expectantly at all of them. 'Come now, less chatter,' he squeaked. 'You've got time after school for that. Let's see how you're all getting on with the Summoning Charm.'

Tala and the others looked at each other. They each tried with varying success to Summon objects across the classroom to each other. Tala was so surprised when the pencil case she'd tried to Summon flew at them that she lost concentration and it knocked Professor Flitwick's hat off.

'Oops,' she giggled as he squeaked in surprise. Jordan, Lottie and Rachel all sniggered. 'Sorry, Professor.'

The bell signalling the end of the lesson rang a while later and the four of them gathered up their things from around the classroom and left together to head outside for break. They walked together through the courtyard and over the bridge into the grounds. Taking off their robes, they sat down on the grass in the shade from the September sun, continuing their earlier conversation. The grounds were soon full of students enjoying their break time, stretching out on the grass for their fifteen minutes of freedom before they had to return to their classrooms. By now James, Sirius, Remus and Peter too had made their way outside to relax for a bit in the sun. From his pocket Sirius had pulled out a broken Fanged Frisbee with half its teeth missing from his bag and started throwing it to James.

'I can't wait for winter to come,' said Rachel. She stared into the depths of the Black Lake. 'I love skating on the lake and all the snow. We never get any where I'm from.'

'No way, it's got to be the autumn,' argued Jordan. 'Crunching through the leaves and kicking them about. What more fun could you want?'

'Hello? Snowball fights and snowmen!'

'Bet you don't know the difference between a snowman and a snowwoman though.' Tala, Rachel and Lottie all gave Jordan a strange look. 'Snowballs!'

The three girls groaned as Jordan began laughing at his joke. It had to have been Muggle humour. It was only when a voice shouted, 'Heads up!' that the four of them realised a broken Fanged Frisbee, the very same one James and Sirius were playing with, was heading in their direction, Sirius chasing wildly after it. The four of them just managed to get out of the way as Sirius landed with a thump, Frisbee in hand, where they had previously been sitting.

'Got it!' he shouted feebly over to James having winded himself in the process of catching it. He let out a heavy breath as he attempted to sit up again, falling flat again when he decided he couldn't.

'Are you OK?'

'I'll be fine,' Sirius replied. 'Just got to catch my −'

Sirius opened his eyes to find himself staring upwards into a pair of deep blue eyes, Tala's upside-down concerned face looking down on his. Quickly Sirius scrambled round into a sitting position, his eyes never leaving her. They roved every inch of Tala's face and body, unable to quite believe what he was seeing. Her hair had changed, she had a fringe now that crossed in a sweep over her blue eyes, hiding them almost until she brushed it back; her lips were pinker than normal, not to mention quite shiny from the lip-gloss Sirius assumed she was wearing; moving down, Sirius saw the top button of her shirt and tie were loose, exposing the thin chain that she wore beneath it and the few freckles around the base of her neck; like Lily, Tala too had developed over the summer, not as much as she was younger, but still noticeable enough; finally Sirius noted just how long her legs appeared in her school skirt (either Tala had gotten taller or she was rolling her skirt up more than Remus knew). Of course, in observing all this, Sirius had failed to notice the strange look Tala was giving him.

'Are you sure you're all right, Sirius?' she asked. 'You didn't hit your head or anything, did you?'

'I er …' was about all Sirius could manage as his brain had for some reason decided to stop working.

'Sirius, you OK mate?' shouted James. He, Remus and Peter were running over to where he and Tala's group were gathered. Sirius stumbled quickly to his feet, Tala getting up too. He was still staring at her. 'That was some catch you did there,' said James, clapping his hand on Sirius's shoulder. 'Anyone would think you were part dog or something. Sirius?'

'Sirius?' Remus and James looked at each other when Sirius still didn't respond. 'Are you all right?'

'I think he might have hit his head or something when he landed,' said Tala, concerned. 'Maybe you should get him to the hospital wing.'

'No! No, I'm fine!' burst Sirius suddenly, surprising the three of them. 'I, er, just need to − I just need a drink or something.'

Sirius sharply turned on his heel and headed back to the castle. James, Remus, Peter and Tala all shared a confused look. Sirius had been known for doing strange things sometimes but that had to have been the strangest. Luckily by now they'd learnt to ignore it.

'I guess we'd better go after him, see if he's all right,' said Peter. He turned away to follow after him.

'Yeah, s'pose so,' agreed James. 'Oh, before I forget. Tal, don't s'pose you're free Saturday night, are you? And you, Remus?'

Remus and Tala glanced at each other.

'Yeah, I should be,' she replied, 'unless I get loads of homework during the week.'

'Me too,' said Remus. 'Can I ask why though?'

'Ah, it's a surprise,' said James. Remus and Tala shared another look; they knew full well what a surprise meant in James's book. 'Not that kind of surprise! Look, just trust me. You know that bit of the Forbidden Forest with the small lake?' Remus and Tala nodded. 'Be there on Saturday night and all will be revealed. Now we better catch up with Sirius otherwise he might go AWOL before class.'

Remus nodded and the two of them left Tala to go back to her friends. Though concerned about Sirius's behaviour, she brushed it off to him being him before resuming the previous discussion about seasons on her way back up to the castle with Jordan, Lottie and Rachel. Sirius meanwhile was stood in the courtyard, pacing back and forth as he cursed himself for making a complete fool of himself. Peter stood close by merely watching. When James and Remus had caught up with them, Sirius brushed off their questions wanting nothing more than not to discuss it and they proceeded into the castle for their next class.

Sirius managed to get through the rest of the day without running into Tala again. He still had no idea why he had acted so stupidly around her earlier in the day but he put it down to his stunt with the Frisbee. After dinner Sirius was sat in the corner with James and the others doing the homework they had been set that day, burying themselves in their Transfiguration textbooks. After an hour or so on the same essay, Sirius yawned and began to pack up his things, saying he'd finish it tomorrow.

'You don't want to get behind this year,' warned Remus as he scribbled another line of his essay. 'This is the year where it really counts.'

'I know, Remus,' said Sirius casually. 'I want to pass my OWLs as much as the next wizard. I just know when to call it a day on a piece of homework. Besides, I always get it done in the end.' Sirius slung his bag strap over his shoulder and headed towards the stairs. 'See you guys later. I'm going to bed.'

Sirius walked off as James, Remus and Peter mumbled their replies. He started up the stairs two at a time, not realising someone else was coming down them: Tala. Sirius stumbled to a halt mid bounce as he and Tala bumped into each other, but still managed to put his arm out to catch Tala before she fell down the rest of the stairs, her hands grabbing him also to steady herself.

'You OK?' asked Sirius instantly.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' laughed Tala. Her laugh was very gentle, almost musical, Sirius noted. 'That's the second time I've almost fallen down the stairs with you nearby. I'm so clumsy it's ridiculous. Either that or I'm prone to accidents when I'm near you.'

Sirius chuckled, 'Perhaps you need someone to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't get into any trouble.'

Tala's eyes flicked up beneath her fringe to look at him. Sirius swore he jumped slightly when he saw their startling colour, just like earlier. What the hell was going on? Tala smiled up at him, all the while aware of Sirius's grip round her waist. For some reason his grey eyes looked kinder than before. Tala couldn't put her finger on it but they did look different.

'Are you volunteering?' she asked, meaning it as a joke.

'Perhaps I am.'

Tala's small smile grew slightly. Sirius also grinned down at her. They remained there for only a few more seconds before Sirius remembered himself and cleared his throat. He released Tala's waist, Tala also removing her hands from his arms.

'Well I was just heading up to bed so I'll see you around,' he said. 'Have a good night.'

'Yeah, you too,' said Tala.

She gave him one last smile then walked round him down to the common room. Sirius's eyes followed her until she'd disappeared round the corner then sprinted up to his dormitory. He chucked his bag on the floor by his trunk before falling flat on his back on his bed. Sirius yanked the curtains shut so James and the others would think he was already asleep (not hard to do in reality) when they came to bed.

'Merlin, get a grip on yourself, Sirius,' he hissed. Sirius ran his hands over his face, pushing back his hair. 'It's Tala! It's only Tala! Not some girl you've never met before! It's Tala! There's nothing possibly attractive about her! I can't be attracted to her!' Sirius stopped and thought about it for a moment, then thumped back down on his bed again, letting out a heavy breath in the process. 'Or am I?'

The rest of the week passed without any more unplanned meetings between Sirius and Tala so what had happened on Monday lay forgotten. It didn't take long for the homework to begin piling up on the fifth years and so most free time they had was spent either in the library or in the common room doing homework. By the time the weekend came, all the students in the castle were glad for some relaxation time. James, Sirius and Peter meanwhile had other plans. On Saturday night they were to reveal to Remus and Tala that they'd managed the Animagus transformation. Every free moment they got when no one else was around the three boys had their heads together discussing in low whispers how they would go about doing it. By Friday night, they had the perfect plan. Now it was just a matter of getting Remus and Tala to the area of the Forbidden Forest James had indicated. James had faith that they would go there but both still needed a little more convincing.

'I haven't forgotten, James,' said Remus tiredly for what must have been the seventh time that day. 'You don't stop reminding me long enough _for_ me to forget.'

'I'm just making sure you don't,' said James. 'It's really important that both you and Tala are there.'

'All right, James, we know. The only question is why does it have to be in the Forbidden Forest. You know students aren't allowed in there.'

'That's exactly why, because students aren't allowed there.' Remus gave James a worried look. 'It's got to be in the Forbidden Forest where none of the other students will find out.'

'James …' Remus was more than concerned now. 'What exactly have you guys done?'

'Just trust me, Remus,' said James. 'Have I ever steered you wrong before?'

James's words didn't exactly fill Remus with confidence but he agreed nonetheless. He trusted his friends implicitly even when his judgement told him otherwise and this was just one of those times where Remus would have to accept that James knew what he was doing.

On Saturday night after dinner, Remus and Tala were sitting alone together in the common room in their favourite chairs. James, Sirius and Peter were nowhere to be seen. All three of them had missed dinner which was an oddity in itself so what they were doing had both Remus and Tala wondering what exactly they were going to be walking into. Every so often Remus glanced up at the clock on the wall to check the time. More and more students were filling into the common room. The noise levels were getting louder which meant the disappearance of two students would luckily go unnoticed. They still had James's Invisibility Cloak as a precaution though.

'D'you think we should make a move?' whispered Tala. She too was glancing around the crowded room. 'Before too many more return.'

'Hmm, probably be best,' said Remus.

Quickly the two of them gathered their things, Remus checking that the Invisibility Cloak was still in his bag, and headed across the common room towards the portrait hole. No one took any notice apart from one; Lily glanced round at the exact moment they climbed out of the portrait hole. She had already noticed that Potter and Black hadn't been around for a good few hours which was suspicious in itself. Now Remus and Tala were heading somewhere. The question was: where? Once out of the portrait hole, Remus and Tala hurried as quickly as they could down to the ground floor. They stopped every so often to make sure that Filch or his flea ridden cat Mrs Norris was not lurking round the before carrying on. When they got to the Entrance Hall they walked briskly towards the front doors and out into the grounds.

'Whatever James and the others are planning, we could get in serious trouble for this,' said Tala. The two of them walked quickly round the edge of the castle and down the hill towards the Forbidden Forest. 'Though I'm surprised it's taken them five years to go into the Forbidden Forest, why they choose now of all times, I don't know.'

'You know James and Sirius, Tala,' said Remus. 'There's always got to be some risk of detention in whatever they do.'

'But this is pushing it, even for those two!'

'I know. But James insisted it could only happen inside the Forbidden Forest. No one else apparently can find out what they've done.'

The grounds were slowly getting darker as the sun set over the mountains in the distance. Checking no one was behind them Remus and Tala disappeared into the trees. There was no path to follow as they walked through the trees towards the area James had mentioned. The Forest was even creepier at night; the wind whistled through the branches; every now and then a strange noise would ring out in the silence from the various creatures that lived there. Tala remained close by Remus's side as they made their way deeper into the Forest. Eventually the trees began to thin and the sound of water could be heard. They came to a stop at a clearing in the trees, a large lake surrounded by pebbles in the centre. No one was there.

'I don't like this, Remus,' said Tala quietly. 'I don't like this at all.'

'Neither do I,' said Remus. 'If this another one of their pranks then as prefect I'm going to have to −'

A snap somewhere behind them startled the two of them. Remus and Tala span round, Remus drawing his wand as a precaution. His eyes scanned the trees. There was nothing there. Another rustle. Remus pulled Tala closer to him and raised his wand.

'Who's there?' Remus called out. 'Show yourself!'

No one replied. Remus tightened his grip on his wand. The rustling started again and whatever it was emerged. A stag stepped out from the trees, a pair of large antlers on its head, standing proudly before them. Its front hoof pawed the ground as it tossed its head back. Neither Remus nor Tala knew what to do, Remus also lowering his wand slightly at the sight of the magnificent animal. The stag stood there for a few moments watching them before looking into the trees behind it. It gestured at something with its head. Remus and Tala glanced at each other. What now? Looking back they saw another animal, this time a dog, walk out of the bushes. Its fur was as black as night, a pair of grey eyes staring back at them. And on its back sat a third, this one a small dusty brown rat, its front paws resting on the dog's head so it could see over it. The three animals looked at each other then back at Remus and Tala.

'What on earth?' Remus breathed. He'd never seen animals behave like this before. 'This is unreal. I've never seen animals act like this before.'

'Animals,' repeated Tala. She glanced at Remus then back at the three animals. And as she stared at them, things began to fall into place. 'Maybe they're not though.'

'What?'

'Maybe they're not really animals.' Slowly, Tala stepped away from Remus towards the animals. 'Are you?' she said to them. 'You're not really animals, are you … James?'

Being an Animagus herself, you would have thought Tala would not have been spooked when the stag suddenly vanished and in its placed stood James Potter. That was not the case. Both she and Remus jumped when the stag transformed and a shirtless James Potter appeared before them.

'If either of you were going to catch on, it was going to be you, Tal,' laughed James, putting his glasses back on. He then ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more than usual. 'You'd be able to tell an Animagus a mile off.'

'Not really,' said Tala.

'So does that mean …' said Remus, glancing at the dog and the rat, 'that that's Sirius and Peter?'

Sure enough, once the rat had jumped down off the dog, Sirius and Peter stood where the dog and rat had been seconds before, both shirtless like James and in bare feet.

'I don't believe it,' gasped Remus. 'You managed it. You managed to become Animagi.'

'We said we'd help you,' said Sirius. Peter nodded beside him. 'Might have taken a good three years to do it but we said we'd help you. Now you don't have to suffer the full moons alone anymore.'

Remus was speechless.

'I don't know what to say. Anyone else would have abandoned me the moment they find out I'm a werewolf. But you '

'You don't have to say anything, Remus,' said James. He walked over to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. 'We're here for you.'

'Totally,' agreed Sirius.

'Definitely,' added Peter.

Throughout all this Tala had remained silent. She couldn't truly believe it either. She could still remember the day James and Sirius had found out about Remus and hers secrets and how scared she had been that they would tell the whole school. Tala had been extremely suspicious of both of them, Sirius in particular because of what she'd heard about his family. But now, here they were, stood right in front of her, all three of them Animagi. Just for Remus. Tala's eyes wandered over the scene in front of her until they landed on Sirius. He was laughing cheerfully with the others, his grey eyes full of mischief, his shirt slung over his shoulder … His rather broad shoulders, and his chest was quite defined for his age and …

Sirius glanced over in Tala's direction to see her looking at him. He smiled at her. Tala, having not realised she was staring, started, her cheeks flushing pink and looked down at her feet. Sirius smirked and cocked his eyebrow then turned back to the others. When sure he wasn't looking, Tala took another quick glance at him, a small smile gracing her face at what she saw.

'How you can wear clothes when you transform, I don't get at all, Tal,' Sirius was saying. Half an hour had past and the five of them were still sat together in the clearing. He held up his shirt and looked at it. 'It's like wearing a second skin when you're an animal.'

'Well unlike you guys, I can't really run around topless so I have to keep my clothes on otherwise I'd be naked when I transformed back,' said Tala. The others laughed.

'I still can't believe you guys did this,' said Remus. 'You're such a lot of marauders.'

'Hey, maybe that's what we should call ourselves,' said James.

'What? Marauders?' asked Peter.

'Yeah, a marauder is like a mischief maker, right?' said James, looking at Remus. He nodded. 'Well, who in the school are bigger mischief makers than we are? We should call ourselves the Marauders.'

'If we're going to have a group name then we better have nicknames too,' said Sirius. 'Ones that only we would know what they mean.'

'Nicknames?' giggled Tala. 'What nicknames could we possibly have? We can't exactly go around calling James something like Quaffle for his talent in Quidditch.'

'It should be something to do with being Animagi,' said Peter. 'I mean, we've all got an animal side now.'

'Some more than others, Pete,' laughed Tala.

'Hey, didn't you mention Remus used to have a nickname for you when you were younger, Tal?' asked James. Tala looked up from her position leaning on Remus's back. 'Hooves, or something like that.'

'Yeah, Remus used to call me Hooves,' shrugged Tala. 'It was because horses are one of my favourite animals. They were one of the first I tried to transform into when I learnt to control my ability.'

'OK, so you were called Hooves because you were a horse,' mused James. He paused for a moment, thinking about the different animals that he, Sirius and Peter could change into. 'I'm a stag, Sirius is a dog, and Peter's a rat … What's a defining part of each of those animals?'

'Well you've got the antlers,' said Sirius. 'Kind like a giant pair of prongs sticking out the top of your head.'

Inspiration suddenly hit James. He looked across at Sirius, a huge grin on his face.

'That's it. Prongs! I can be Prongs.'

'OK, so what about the rest of us?' asked Peter.

'Well, Sirius is a dog so he could be something like … oh, I don't know,' muttered James quickly, 'how about Tails or something?'

Sirius wrinkled his nose.

'Not Tails,' he said. 'There's got to be something better than that.'

'How about something like Padfoot?' Tala suggested. 'You've got paws for feet with pads on them and it's not as obvious as Prongs. We don't want them to be too obvious like mine is.'

'I like that, Padfoot,' repeated Sirius, testing it. 'And Peter could be …'

'Er … I don't know,' said Peter quietly. 'What's defining about a rat? Unless it's something like Squeak.'

'What about Wormtail?' Remus suggested. 'A rat's tail looks a bit like a worm and it'll be confusing to whoever hears it.'

'Wormtail, I don't know,' said Peter.

'It's better than Squeak or Squeakers,' said Sirius. 'Now that just leaves you, Remus. What name would be good for Remus?'

'While it might not be obvious to everyone else, why not go for the obvious for us,' said James. 'What better name for you than Moony?'

'Moony, oh very original,' laughed Remus. He then looked at each of them in turn. 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Hooves.'

'The Marauders,' said James, lifting his hand for a high-five.

'The Marauders,' chorused the other four and clapping their hands against his.

'There's just one thing that bothers me though,' said Tala, after the mini celebration. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter looked at her. 'You guys are able to transform now. But you don't know how strong Remus is as a werewolf. Are you guys going to be able to handle him and keep him in check?'

'Tala's got a point there,' said Remus. 'Only Tala really knows how vicious I get when I'm a werewolf. You've seen the scars she's got before.'

'Well isn't there a way we could test it out?' asked Peter. 'I know I'm probably not much use as a rat when facing a werewolf but …'

'What are you talking about, Peter,' said James. 'We already know what your part is. You're the smallest and the one who can get in between the branches of the Whomping Willow the easiest. You'll be the one letting me and Sirius into the passageway.'

Peter swallowed but nodded.

'But as for us,' continued James. 'How can we test our strength as animals?'

'There is one way,' said Tala quietly. The four looked at her. Tala kept her eyes lowered. She had known for ages she would always be able to transform into it but had never wanted to out of fear. Now was the time she'd have to put her fear aside to help the others. Braving it, Tala looked at them. 'Me. I can transform into any animal. And that includes a werewolf.'

'Tala …' warned Remus. He turned round, Tala getting off him. 'If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, don't …'

Tala ignored him. She got up and moved away from the group. James and Sirius both got to their feet; Peter looked anxiously from his position beneath the tree; Remus was looking scared. Tala stood opposite them, ready.

'Remus, Peter, get into the tree,' she instructed them.

'Tala, I forbid you −' started Remus but she cut him off.

'Just do it, Remus!' Tala told him sharply. 'Normally I would never want to transform into something like that but I'm doing this for you.' Tala didn't say anything else until Remus and Peter were safely out of the way in one of the large trees. Next she turned to James and Sirius. Her heart was thumping in her chest. 'I don't know what I'm going to be like when I transform,' she warned them. 'So be on your guard.'

James and Sirius nodded and took their positions. Tala took another steadying breath and closed her eyes. She thought of the werewolf and allowed it to consume her entire being, just like Grams had taught her when she was younger. She had to allow herself to change. James and Sirius watched cautiously. They had never seen Tala transform before. The image of the werewolf slowly began to fill Tala; its wildness, it's savage appearance, it's brutal nature. Suddenly Tala felt her body start to change. She let out a scream as the werewolf began to appear; she fell to her hands and knees as her bones twisted inside her and fur began to replace her clothes; never had she felt so much pain in transforming as the wild animal took shape. In the tree Remus almost jumped out of it to stop her had it not been for Peter holding him back; on the ground James and Sirius took a step back as they watched Tala slowly vanish and the werewolf appear.

After a minute or two, Tala was virtually unrecognisable from the werewolf that stood in her place. Its fur was a dark russet colour, rough and messy; its breathing was ragged and heavy from the strain on Tala it had taken to transform; the only distinguishable feature which told them it was Tala were the blue eyes they saw when the werewolf raised its head to look at them. It barred its teeth as it glared at Sirius and James.

'Ready, James?' asked Sirius.

'Ready.'

Without warning the werewolf attacked. Sirius instantly leapt forwards, transforming back into Padfoot, and blocked the attack. James followed, transforming into Prongs and running to help. Tala was right when she said she didn't know how she would be as a werewolf; never had they thought so much strength could come from someone as small as Tala. Working together, Padfoot and Prongs managed to push the werewolf back and control it to some extent; Remus and Peter watched from their position in the tree, Remus all the while fearing what might happen to his sister; inside the werewolf though, Tala was doing her best to keep her mind clear as she tested James and Sirius. Abruptly it took a turn for the worst.

'_No!_' screamed Tala suddenly. Padfoot and Prongs froze, both looking at her. The werewolf had frozen, its entire body shaking. Remus and Peter saw this too. Panic instantly flooded him. '_H-help me! I _−_ I can't c-control it anymore! Help me, please!_'

'_James, what do we do?_' asked Sirius.

'_I don't know_,' said James. '_I don't know what she does to transform. Only Remus knows._'

'Tala!' shouted Remus's voice from above them. He leapt down from the tree. 'Tala, fight it!'

The werewolf looked up. Its eyes narrowed and focused in on Remus. Tala's mind was being blocked out. The werewolf made ready to strike.

'_James, stop him!_' shouted Sirius. '_I'll stop Tala!_'

The werewolf lunged at Remus. Prongs and Padfoot separated, Prongs blocking Remus and Padfoot blocking the werewolf and engaging it in a fight. Prongs lifted Remus on to his back against his will and galloped up the hill away from the fight. James then transformed and pulled Remus away.

'Tala!' shouted Remus desperately. Padfoot and the werewolf were snarling and biting at each other viciously. 'Sirius, stop it! It's Tala!'

'He's trying to help her,' said James, holding him back. 'Remus, get a grip! We need you to tell us how Tala transforms. That'll help her change back!'

'She needs to clear her mind,' said Remus. 'Get Tala to clear her mind and focus on herself. She can't lose herself or she won't be able to change back!'

The werewolf raised its paw, slashing it over Padfoot's shoulder causing him to howl in pain.

'Remus, get back in the tree with Peter and stay there,' James told him. 'I'll help Tala.'

'But −'

'No buts! Just do it!' Reluctantly Remus, with James protecting him as Prongs, climbed back into the tree with Prongs standing guard beneath it. '_Sirius!_' James shouted over to him. Padfoot leapt back from the werewolf, dodging another attack, and looked over at him. '_You need to get Tala to clear her mind! She needs to focus on herself otherwise she can't transform!_'

_Right_, thought Sirius, dodging another swipe. _Now just how do I do that?_

It was up to Sirius. He leapt away from the werewolf so he had a clear distance between them giving him time to think. His eyes focused on the werewolf so as not to lose sight of it. If only there was a way to stop the werewolf long enough for Sirius to talk to Tala, tell her what she needed to do. The werewolf jumped at him. Padfoot leapt out of the way. Quickly, Padfoot turned round and lunged at the werewolf while it still had its back to him from its previous attack. He pushed it to the ground. The werewolf howled in anger. Padfoot growled back and kept his position over it, his paws holding its shoulders. Tala may be in werewolf form but she was still smaller than Sirius.

'_Tala, listen to me!_' shouted Sirius. The werewolf merely snarled at him. '_Listen to me! I know you're in there! Don't let the werewolf take control! Fight it!'_

'_S-Sirius … help me!_' came Tala's voice. '_I c-can't _−_'_

'_Clear your mind, Tala!_' Sirius told her. '_I know you can do this! Just clear your mind and you'll be able to change back! Clear your mind and you'll get rid of the werewolf!'_

'_I can't!_'

'_I know you can! I believe in you! You can do this!_'

The werewolf snarled again. It's entire body convulsed and it finally threw Padfoot of it. Padfoot landed hard on the ground. He shook himself and looked over where the werewolf was. It was still lying on the ground, shaking. It snarled and howled as Tala fought to regain control of herself. After a few moments it collapsed. Cautiously, not transforming, Padfoot got to his paws and approached it. The fur began to fade away as Tala's appearance returned, her mind in control once more. Sirius transformed and ran over to her. Remus and Peter climbed down from the tree too and they and James did so too. Sirius reached her first. Carefully, he picked her up, holding her beside his body. She was exhausted, her chest heaving as she panted.

'Tala?' he said anxiously. 'Tala, wake up. It's over.'

'Tala!' shouted Remus. He fell to his knees beside Sirius. 'Tala, can you hear me? Tala, please!'

'R-Remus?' Slowly Tala opened her eyes, looking blearily up at him from her position against Sirius's chest. 'Did it work?'

Remus let out a relieved breath.

'Thank Merlin you're all right,' he breathed. He gently stroked Tala's face. 'Why would you ever try a crazy stunt like that?'

'I … I just wanted to help,' said Tala quietly. 'Like Sirius and …'

'Ssh, it's OK,' said Remus. 'You did help, more than you know.' Tala nodded then closed her eyes again, turning her face into Sirius's chest. 'She's exhausted herself,' said Remus. 'She's never transformed into anything that's taken such a strain on her body before.'

'We'd better get her back to the castle otherwise people will ask questions,' said Sirius. Carefully he put his arms round Tala and lifted her up so she sat on his back in a piggyback. 'She'll be fine though, won't she?'

'Yeah, she'll be all right,' said Remus. 'But if she ever tries that again, I'll kill her. She should know her limits.'

Gathering their things the four boys lit their wands and made their way back up to the castle. Tala remained asleep on Sirius's back. Out the corner of his eye, Sirius glanced at her. Subconsciously he tightened his grip on her as they walked up the hill, not knowing how protective he would now suddenly become of the younger student having witnessed her in such pain.

* * *

**AN: yes I know it's been ages since I updated either of my stories but I'm in university now so I don't have as much free time as I used to. But rest assured that I have not given up on my stories. I just need to overcome a bit of writers block and then I'll update His Black Rose as well. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and do leave a review. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	15. Subtle Attraction

Chapter 15

Subtle Attraction

With the aid of the Invisibility Cloak, James, Sirius and Remus got Tala back up to the castle, Peter hiding as a rat in James's pocket. She slept the entire way back, her head resting on Sirius's shoulder as he carried her on his back. The castle was silent as they walked through the corridors; the only people they past was the occasional ghost floating through the wall or Mrs Norris slinking round a corner in the opposite direction, much to their relief. They reached the corridor on the seventh floor with the portrait of the Fat Lady where they finally pulled the Cloak off and Peter transformed back. It was still before ten o'clock giving them ten minutes before they'd officially be out of bounds. Hiding the Cloak in his pocket, James and the others walked up to the portrait.

'Where have you five been, do you know what time it is?' she asked, eyeing Tala lying on Sirius's back. 'What on earth's happen to her?'

'Fell asleep in the library,' said Sirius. 'Those goblin wars, right dull things. _Golden Snitch_.'

The Fat Lady swung forwards and admitted them. The common room was almost empty apart from the odd older student talking to their friends. They walked in casually, as if they really had just got back from the library, and walked over to their favourite chairs in the corner by the fire. Sirius gently slid Tala off his back and into a chair. She looked quite peaceful there as she slept.

'How long will it before she wakes up?' Sirius asked Remus. 'She can't sleep down here. We can't take her up to the girls' dormitories and none of her friends are down here to take her up there.'

'She'll be asleep for a while,' said Remus. He took the seat beside her. 'Transforming wears Tala out sometimes when it's an animal she's never done before and transforming into a werewolf would have put a lot of strain on her body. She'll be out for about an hour or so.'

'Man, I always thought Tala had it so good, being able to transform into anything,' said James. 'I never knew it affected her like that. We read all the stuff on Animagi before we attempted the transformation but it never mentioned what it could do to us.'

'I don't think you'll have any problems. You can only change into one animal so it probably won't tire you in the slightest.'

'I might not have even managed it if it weren't for James and Sirius,' said Peter dismally. 'Those spells were really tricky.'

'Chill out, Wormtail, you did it, didn't you?' said Sirius. 'Hey, that actually works. I reckon those nicknames we gave ourselves will really catch on.'

'Sure, _Padfoot_,' said Remus sceptically. 'I can so see that.'

'Well even if they don't, I'm sure the title of Marauder's will,' said Sirius. 'I've got a whole load of pranks planned for this year.'

'With a whole load of detentions to follow,' muttered Remus. 'Don't you think you're getting a bit too old for all this?'

'You can never get too old for pranks, Remus,' said James. 'A bit of fun never hurt anyone. That's what my Dad always said.'

'Besides, you enjoy them too,' said Sirius. 'Don't deny it, Moony, you laughed too when we Confunded Snivellus and he kept walking into walls.'

Remus rolled his eyes. Being a prefect with those two about was not going to be easy.

'Look, you guys should go to bed,' he then said. 'I'll wait with Tala until she wakes up. I want to have a word with her about what happened anyway.'

'Well don't be to hard on her, Remus,' said Sirius, getting up. 'She was only trying to help.'

Remus nodded. He then gave Sirius a strange look when he realised what Sirius had said, surprised at the fact it was coming from _him_ when it sounded like something he'd never say. Sirius too started.

'I mean, you know,' he said, 'last thing she'll want when she wakes is you yanking her wand. You know what she's like. She hates it when you go all "big brother" on her.'

'I get your point,' said Remus. 'Night, guys.'

'Night, Remus.'

'Night.'

'See you in the morning.'

The three boys walked away and up the staircase towards the boys' dormitory, leaving Remus sitting alone in their corner with Tala. When they had gone, he looked across at her. He gently brushed back her hair, her fringe flopping back down. Remus sighed. A part of him wished Tala hadn't done what she did in the Forest but another part was thankful she had. He just wished more that she didn't have to get hurt in the process. Tala knew her limits but still she pushed them. Hopefully she'd learn eventually to think before she acted.

'So what was that about?' asked James. He pulled his robes over his head and shook his hair. He looked across the dormitory to where Sirius stood by his bed. 'You'd never show that kind of concern for your brother.'

'That's because my brother's a little twat,' Sirius shrugged. 'It's his own fault if he gets into trouble.'

'So why the concern for Tala?' asked James. He glanced over at Frank's bed to check he was asleep. 'It was her choice to transform into a werewolf even though Remus told her not to.'

'What's with the interrogation?' countered Sirius. He pulled on his t-shirt then got into bed. 'So I didn't want Remus to have a go at her. She was only trying to help him by showing us what he'd be like as a werewolf, and she did that. I'd do the same for you if you tried to help Remus and he got angry at you.'

James stared at Sirius for a moment or two then shrugged.

'If you so say so, mate,' he said. 'I was just saying …'

Sirius watched silently as James got into bed, took off his glasses and lay down. Sirius did so too, facing away from James. So he didn't want Remus to have a go at Tala. What was the problem with that? He didn't see anything wrong with it. What was James getting at? Sirius turned over so he lay flat on his back. He stared up at the top of the hangings around his bed. OK, so maybe he had been a little concerned if Tala was all right. Was it a crime to not want her to get hurt? James did have a point though; he wouldn't do the same for his brother, Regulus.

It wasn't that Sirius didn't care about his younger brother. He just couldn't stand the fact he sucked up so much to their parents. He was glad when he got Sorted into Slytherin at the start of his first year; he continuously asked their father about the Dark Arts books he had in his office in Grimmauld Place, reading them during the holidays; he even once said at a family meal that he wanted to join a group called the Death Eaters who followed the wizard Voldemort who'd been in the papers when he was older. Regulus was everything that Sirius wasn't: the perfect little Slytherin pure-blood supporter that his parents had always wanted. But Regulus didn't understand what he was getting himself into. Voldemort supported the Dark Arts and Sirius knew nothing good would come of him if Regulus joined his followers.

The door to their dormitory opened meaning Remus had come to bed. Tala must have woken up at last. Sirius watched his shadow cross the room. He then turned over once more and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

The next morning Sirius woke up before the rest of the boys in his dormitory. Knowing he wouldn't get anymore sleep he got up and dressed in silence. James was still sprawled in his bed, his hair even messier than usual; Remus was fast asleep on his front, one arm falling off the edge of his bed; and Peter was curled up in a ball beneath his blankets. Sirius looked at them then left the dormitory. The common room was empty as he walked through it and out of the portrait hole. The castle was as quiet as ever for a Sunday morning. It was actually quite nice, Sirius thought, as he walked through the empty corridors down to the Great Hall for some breakfast, a nice change from the usual crowded and noisy corridors of the castle during the week.

Not many students were in the Great Hall when Sirius got there so he took a seat halfway down the Gryffindor table and helped himself to some breakfast. He'd never been up this early before on a Sunday. Most students didn't get up until nine o'clock at the weekend and breakfast didn't tend to start until eight thirty at the earliest. As time ticked by more and more students began to arrive for breakfast with James, Remus and Peter getting there sometime after nine. All three were surprised to see Sirius up before them but he shrugged off their questions, commenting he'd gone for a walk when he got up.

'I didn't shut my hangings last night so the sun woke me up,' he said, taking a sip of his drink. 'I couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to go for a walk then came down for breakfast as my stomach started growling.'

'Sirius, your stomach's always growling,' said Remus, helping himself to some cereal. Sirius sent him a look.

'Moving on,' James swiftly interjected, 'what's the plan for today? D'you reckon it's time we tested out some of your new ideas for pranks on old Snivelly?'

'Maybe, but one or two could do with a bit more tweaking,' said Sirius. 'And I've got a whole lot of new things from Gambol and Japes from the holidays. Thought we could test some of them -'

'Ssh!' hissed James quickly. 'Evans is coming!'

Indeed Lily had just walked into the Hall with Alice and Tala. They walked down past where the four boys sat; Tala gave them a smile as she passed, her blue eyes shining again having recovered from the previous night, Sirius noted. He felt the corner of his lip lift as he smiled back unintentionally.

'Morning, Evans!' James called beside him, jerking Sirius's attention away from Tala. Lily stopped and looked back at him; Sirius, Remus and Peter too looked at James, confused. 'Nice day.'

'Yes, it is,' said Lily. She turned away.

'So d'you want to hang out today?' James continued. Lily stopped and turned round again. 'You know, go for a walk around the lake or something?'

'Only if the giant squid is the one who's with me,' replied Lily coolly, and she turned away again. James's face fell slightly.

'What's that, the fifth time you've asked her out?' said Sirius, smirking.

'Seventh,' said Peter.

'You're keeping a tally?' asked James. Sirius nodded.

'Yeah, to see how many times Lily Flower turns you down before you give up,' he said.

'Well then you better make sure you remember how many it is,' said James. 'I'm not giving up asking her out just yet.'

'James, we all know Lily won't go out with you,' said Remus. 'Why don't you find someone else to ask out who will actually say yes?'

'Because Evans has presented me with a challenge,' explained James, 'and I don't give up easily no matter how hard the challenge. She said when I first asked her out that she would never go out with me. So, I now have the challenge to prove her wrong and _get_ her to go out with me. Get it?'

Remus and Sirius stared at James for a moment, then both said, 'No.'

'I don't think Lily's rejection of you the first time was an invitation for you to keep asking her out,' said Remus. 'I think it was clearly saying, "I won't go out with you no matter how many times you ask".'

'Now you see, I don't believe that,' said James. He ate a mouthful of toast. 'Mark my words, by the time we finish Hogwarts, I will have conquered Lily Evans and we will have dated. I'd bet my broom on it.'

Sirius let out a low whistle. The three of them knew James was being serious when he said those words. His broomstick was one of his most important possessions and he didn't wager it off lightly unless he was certain he'd win. Sirius shook his head and looked away across the Hall. It was virtually full now and some of the earlier students were starting to leave. In amongst them Sirius noticed a boy with black hair the same as his head towards the doors: Regulus.

'Er, I think I'm finished guys,' said Sirius, putting down his knife and fork. 'I'll see you back at the Tower later.'

Sirius had already got up when James and the others mumbled their reply. Regulus had already left the Hall. Sirius chased after him. He was heading up towards the changing staircase. The little bookworm was probably heading to the library again. Sirius ran across the Entrance Hall and up the marble staircase after him.

'Regulus!' he called. Regulus stopped halfway up the staircase to the first floor and looked round to see Sirius running up to him.

'What do you want?' Regulus asked. 'If you've come to blame me for Mum's latest rant at you, I had nothing to do with her finding your Muggle motorbike magazines.'

'No, I wasn't coming to blame you,' said Sirius, irritated. 'Can't a guy have a civil conversation with his brother for once?'

'The word "civil" doesn't even come into your vocabulary, Sirius,' said Regulus.

He turned away. He was running late. Regulus stopped though when Sirius grabbed his arm.

'Reg, just hear me out for a moment, will ya?' said Sirius. Regulus rolled his eyes but did so nonetheless. 'I've got something important to say to you.'

'Oh yeah,' said Regulus sceptically. 'And what would that be?'

'Just … watch your back, all right?' said Sirius. 'I'm your brother and I'm meant to look out for you and stuff but I can't always bail you out of trouble. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, OK?'

'Yeah, yeah, don't blow anything up, I get it,' said Regulus. 'Whatever, Sirius.'

'Regulus, I'm serious,' said Sirius. 'Don't get involved with anything too deep like with those Death Eaters of Voldemort's.'

'Since when did you care what I did?' asked Regulus.

'I've always cared,' said Sirius firmly. 'I may not have shown it because you're an irritating little suck up all the time at home but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I don't want you getting in over your head.'

'Yeah, well it's my choice what I do,' said Regulus, shrugging his arm out of Sirius's grip. 'It's just you who's against our pure-blood heritage. I'm proud to be who I am and Dad says you should be too.'

'Dad also supports Voldemort, some raving lunatic who thinks killing people is fun,' said Sirius bluntly. 'It's not just Muggles he kills. He kills Muggle-borns too, you know, people who have the right to learn magic.'

'He's just trying to make a better place for us wizards,' said Regulus. 'Why should we hide from the Muggles? They should be the ones hiding from us.'

'Regulus, this isn't a game here! I'm trying to tell you -'

'Well don't! You've never been cared about what I've done in the past. Don't bother starting now!'

Regulus turned on his heel and walked off. Sirius just stood there and watched as his brother walked away. That was exactly the reason he'd never bothered with Regulus before; he never took Sirius's advice and always went by what their father said was right. Well if he wanted to join the Death Eaters, on his broom be it. Sirius had had enough of him. He could do what he liked.

'Padfoot, I thought you were going back to the Tower?' James, Remus and Peter appeared by his side on the stairs.

'Oh, I ran into my brother,' shrugged Sirius, facing them. 'Little bookworm's going to the library again.'

'He always goes there on a Sunday morning,' said James.

'There's nothing wrong with that,' said Remus.

'Anyway, good job we found you, Sirius,' said James. 'We saw Snivelly heading up to the fourth floor. If we're quick we can catch him. Fancy pulling a prank?'

Sirius glanced back in the direction Regulus had gone.

'I think a good prank is exactly what I need.'

With knowledge that Snivellus was on the fourth floor, James and Sirius darted off for the changing staircase with Remus and Peter following quickly after them. They dashed up the first couple of staircases then diverted into the second floor where they knew a secret passageway was to the fourth floor. Sirius pulled out his wand and tapped the wall revealing a staircase behind it. The four boys entered the passageway, Sirius closing it up behind them. They continued up to the other end of the staircase. They appeared hidden in an alcove on the fourth floor near to the library.

'You sure you saw Snivellus heading up here?' whispered Sirius as they looked out round the corner into the corridor. 'All I see is my idiot brother.'

The four boys watched as a muttering Regulus passed by where they were hidden. Sirius rolled his eyes as he passed; there was no point in trying to help him anymore. He looked back in the opposite direction.

'There!' cried Peter. He pointed into the corridor. Sure enough, another Slytherin student with very familiar greasy black hair had just appeared: Severus Snape. James and Sirius quickly grabbed Peter and covered his mouth.

'Shut it, Wormtail!' hissed James. 'D'you want him to hear us?'

Peter shook his head. They released him and peered back into the corridor. Snape was nearing where they were hidden. His lank hair fell either side of his pale face, swaying as he strode down the corridor, and his normal clothes hung loosely on his skinny frame making him look even weirder than he did when he was in his school uniform. Sirius wrinkled his nose in disgust.

'Core, look at his greasy hair,' he whispered. 'D'you reckon he ever washes it? Perhaps we should give him a helping hand.'

The boys watched as Snape walked past them. James glanced at Sirius and nodded. They shared a grin. This was going to be good. Sirius reached into his pocket and drew out his wand. Behind him James, Remus and Peter were all leaning round to watch. Though a part of him was telling him to stop them, Remus couldn't bring himself to stop Sirius from jinxing Severus even though he was a prefect; he didn't want James and Sirius getting angry with him for reporting them. Sirius levelled his wand so it pointed at the back of Snape's head. The spell was ready on his lips. Suddenly Snape stopped. The four boys ducked back into the alcove. Snape looked round the corridor, his black eyes roving the suits of armour. A few seconds later he started walking again. Sirius and the others peered back round the alcove. Sirius raised his wand a second time.

'_Sc_—

The words didn't even leave Sirius's lips. No sooner had he begun the spell did Snape turn round and point his own wand at Sirius. Sirius felt a tug on his ankles as if a rope had suddenly been wrapped round them and he was hoisted by them into the air so he hung upside down, his robes falling over his head and his hair standing on end; his wand fell from his grasp and landed with a clatter on the floor. James, Remus and Peter stared at Sirius as he writhed about trying to free himself. Further up the corridor Snape smirked then turned on his heel and walked off. Sirius glared at his retreating back.

'What the fuck?' yelled Sirius. 'Hey! You slimy little sneak! Hey, I haven't finished with you, Snivellus! Come back here!'

Snape didn't react.

'Yeah, you better walk away otherwise I'd hex you!' Sirius hung there as Snape turned the corner. He then looked at James, Remus and Peter. The three of them were still staring at him. 'Well? What are you standing there like house elves for? Get me down!'

'Oh yeah, right.' James took out his wand and pointed it at Sirius. '_Finite Incantatem_.'

'No wait!'

Sirius held up his hands to stop James from saying the spell. To late. Very unceremoniously, Sirius felt the spell release his ankles and he dropped back to the ground. He landed with a hard thump on the stone floor. Peter let out a small squeak of laughter. Sirius sent him a look and got up, rubbing his hip.

'Yeah yeah, laugh it up, Wormtail,' he muttered. 'Nice to see someone's amused.'

Peter flushed. Checking no one was there, Sirius walked out of the alcove and strode off down the corridor, fuming. James, Remus and Peter looked at each other then followed after him. They knew for a fact Sirius was going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. It wasn't very often that Severus Snape managed to get one over the Marauders, least of all Sirius, and it was only going to be a matter of time before Sirius thought up of a way to get him back.

-o-

'Who does he think he is anyway? Trying to tell me what to do.'

Regulus fumed all the way up to the fourth floor. It was just like Sirius to try and tell him what to do and what choices to make in life. Sirius was just jealous because their parents were proud of him. If Sirius wasn't so stubborn and against their family beliefs then maybe they wouldn't be so appalled with him. It was an honour to be part of a pure-blood wizarding family and to be in a respected family like the Blacks. The way Sirius acted, Regulus wasn't surprised their Mum compared him to a Muggle-born.

Turning the corner, Regulus walked into the corridor leading to the library. He checked his watch. He was cutting it close. Everyone else would be gathered by now. The library was always empty on a Sunday as all the students were usually in the grounds or in their common rooms. It made the perfect meeting place for them. Regulus entered the library, walking silently past Madam Pince's desk at the front. Gathered round a desk near the back of the library by the Restricted Section was a group of Slytherin students of varying ages in Regulus's year and above.

'Reg, where've you been?' asked Bartemius Crouch, a straw-blond haired boy in his year. 'Selwyn's been getting antsy about starting.'

'I ran into my brother,' said Regulus quietly. 'He was telling me that being proud of your heritage was a stupid idea again. Idiot.' He took a seat beside Bartemius near the window. The older Slytherin students were still huddled together meaning they were still preparing stuff for the meeting. 'Have they said anything yet, Barty?'

'No,' replied Barty. 'They're waiting for everyone to get here. They did manage to get Madam Pince to give them a book out of the Restricted Section though. I think they're going to show us something.'

'Are we all here then?' A burly Slytherin stood up from his seat at the head of the table. Selwyn's dark eyes glanced over the group. 'Where's Snape? I told everyone ten o'clock sharp.'

'We haven't seen him,' said Wilkes.

'He's probably with that Gryffindor Mudblood again,' sneered Rosier, folding his arms. 'Dunno why he hangs around with her. Filthy Mudblood.'

'Only 'cause he fancies her,' said Mulciber. 'He practically wets himself every time she speaks to him.'

'All right, all right,' growled Selwyn. 'Snape maybe a bit of a weirdo but he knows his stuff. He always has good spells for us to try out.'

'Here he comes,' said Rosier. 'Ooh, he looks in a bit of a mood. Maybe the Mudblood dumped him.'

The boys sniggered.

Severus entered the library looking distinctly disgruntled. He'd just encountered Potter and Black again. They'd somehow appeared on the fourth floor hidden in an alcove with their other friends Lupin and Pettigrew. He'd had a feeling he was being watched and so had taken his wand out as a precaution. Sure enough, he heard Black's voice from behind him as he attempted to jinx him. Unluckily for Black, Severus had reacted in time with a spell of his own personal creation, leaving him hanging in the corridor by his ankle. The effects of the spell were pretty much what Severus had planned. Unfortunately, Severus hadn't come up with a counter spell yet which meant Potter would be able to get him down with the Finite Charm.

'About time you got here, Snape,' grunted Selwyn. 'You know we can only be in here for an hour before Madam Pince gets suspicious.'

Snape took no regard of what Selwyn said as he took a seat.

'I wouldn't have been delayed if it wasn't for a pair of arrogant bullies attempting to sneak up on me,' Snape said in a low voice. 'Needless to say, they got what they deserved, but I would have arrived on time if it had not been for Black and Potter.' Severus's black eyes glanced at Regulus. 'You would have found it most satisfying seeing your brother get what was coming to him.'

Regulus rolled his eyes. He should've known his brother had been involved.

'Well now that everyone appears to be here, we can start,' said Selwyn.

From his pocket, Selwyn took out the latest copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that had been delivered that morning. He laid it out on the table and smoothed it flat so everyone could see it. On the front page was yet another article about a Dark wizard going by the name of Lord Voldemort. He and his Death Eaters had been trying to recruit more wizards and witches to join their following. The Ministry had last tracked their movements in the south where a family of Muggles had been tortured by means of one of the Unforgivable Curses because the son had been a Mudblood. Accompanying the article was a photo of the Muggle's destroyed home, a pile of broken wood and stone the only remnants of it, the family standing in front of it looking pathetic.

'Stupid Mudblood,' sniggered Thorfinn Rowle, a huge blond seventh year, laughing at the article. 'Serves 'em right. They 'ave no right to learn magic.'

'Right,' said Selwyn. 'Lord Voldemort's still looking to recruit more wizards to his Death Eaters. Nott, you said your father had mentioned something about it.'

He looked across the table at a tall, stringy boy in the year below him.

'My Dad told me that not many wizards are wanting to join Lord Voldemort,' he replied, 'so he's looking to recruit younger members fresh from Hogwarts. He said we can join them officially when we finish after our seventh year and get branded with the Dark Mark to prove our loyalty to him. For now, just us spreading the word that he's looking for more Death Eaters will help.'

'But what about Dumbledore?' asked Regulus. The older Slytherins looked at him. Regulus flushed, realising he'd spoken out of turn.

'What about Dumbledore?' sneered Rowle. 'What can he do about it? It's up to us if we join the Death Eaters.'

'Nothing,' said Regulus quickly. 'I mean, it's just that Dumbledore wouldn't approve of us openly supporting Lord Voldemort at school.'

'Look, Black,' said Selwyn, 'who gives a shit what the Muggle-lover thinks? He's as daft as a Puffskein. Besides, only an idiot would go around shooting his wand off that he supports Lord Voldemort while still here. Why d'you think we made this group? So we could follow his movements without Dumbledore getting suspicious.'

'But -' started Regulus but Selwyn cut him off.

'I've warned you before, Black. If you're so worried about the Muggle-lover, then you can bugger off right now. The door's that way. If not, then you can stick around but keep your trap shut.'

Regulus shrank back in his seat beside Barty. They shared a glance; Barty gave him a pointed look then turned back round to continue to listen to Selwyn. They were going to look at a from the book that they had managed to retrieve from the Restricted Section under the ruse that the Selwyn and Rowle needed it for some homework and had got it out while the "Slytherin Shuntbumps Club" had their meeting in the library. It gave a lot of information about the three Unforgivable Curses: the Cruciatus Curse, Imperious Curse and, the worst of the three, Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse.

Regulus remained silent throughout the rest of the meeting as he listened to the older students discuss joining Lord Voldemort when they finished school. At eleven o'clock, the group separated so as not to arouse any suspicion from Madam Pince about hanging around the back of the library for too long. Regulus and Barty left the library together and walked back towards the changing staircase to return to the Slytherin common room. Barty talked animatedly all the way back to the stairs about the Unforgivables, liking the idea that there was actually a curse that could allow you to control another person. Regulus merely murmured in agreement. He couldn't get the thought that supporting Lord Voldemort while still in Hogwarts wasn't a wise idea; sure, he was all for pure-blood pride and the ideals that Lord Voldemort promoted, just not while still in a place where Albus Dumbledore was. The papers had always said that Dumbledore was the only one Lord Voldemort had ever feared.

'I'd love to try that curse on my father,' said Barty eagerly. 'That would show him. Always too busy with the Ministry to bother about me. That's something I've always envied about you, Reg. Your father's proud of you. The closest thing mine's ever come to pride was when I got into Hogwarts. I bet he was convinced I'd be a Squib.'

'Yeah,' sighed Regulus. They turned the corner and continued down to the third floor. As they did so, Regulus noticed someone walking up the stairs on an opposite staircase to them. It was Tala. Regulus would recognise that dark red hair anywhere. 'Barty, I think I left my wand in the library,' he then said, checking his pocket. 'I better go back and get it.'

'You always leave things lying around,' laughed Barty. He waved as he continued down the staircase. 'Well, I guess I'll see you later then.'

'Yeah, see you!'

Regulus waited until Barty was out of sight then turned back the way they came to catch up with Tala. She'd turned into the sixth floor corridor. Regulus hurried back up the stairs and into the sixth floor corridor. Where had she gone? He stopped and looked all around the corridor. There, just in front of him! Tala had just turned the corner into the next corridor. She must be going to the Owlery. Regulus grinned and ran after her.

-o-

Tala hummed aimlessly to herself as she walked to the Owlery to deliver her letter. Her thoughts were elsewhere as she attached it to Swish. She couldn't quite understand it; she was a daydreamer at the best of times but today she was just in a ridiculously good mood, making her daydream even more than usual. Nothing particularly good had even happened. It was still early morning and all she had done was gone to breakfast with Lily and Alice, seeing Sirius and the others already there when they grabbed some seats at the Gryffindor table. Tala took an Owl Treat out of her pocket and gave it to Swish. He ate it happily, hooted, then spread his wings to deliver it. Tala watched as he flew off out of the window.

From nowhere, a pair of hands covered her eyes.

'Guess who?'

Tala reached up and felt the hands, not that it would do much good in identifying who the person was. She needn't have worried though. She knew that voice anywhere.

'I know it's you, Regulus,' she laughed. Tala pulled his hands away and turned round. 'You always do that.'

'How else do you expect me to get your attention?' grinned Regulus. 'Have I ever told you that a Daydream Charm would be rendered completely ineffective if it was used on you?'

'You might have mentioned it once or twice,' said Tala, leaning up to him so they were literally face-to-face. 'But have I ever told you that your hair's starting to go grey?'

Regulus's hand sprang to his hair to check it. Tala laughed then ran off. Realising it was another one of her jokes, Regulus an exasperated sigh that Tala had tricked him again then chased after her out of the Owlery. He had quite a job catching up to her; Tala, as clumsy as she was, was very fast on her feet. Regulus ran down the corridor that led past the Hospital Wing and came to a halt, looking around for her. It was then that Tala leapt out from behind a suit of armour and grabbed Regulus round the waist, making him let out a shout of surprise.

'Tala!' he shouted, 'I wish you wouldn't do that! You scared the spell out of me!'

They walked down the left hand wooden staircase and through the archway that led to the ground floor of the Clock Tower. The pendulum swung back and forth across the Tower, the bells at the top of it ringing to mark the hour. Tala and Regulus walked out into the courtyard and the bright sunshine. The warm September weather was refreshing for the students after the first week of school so many were strolling around the grounds with their friends to relax. The weekends were the only times when what house you were in didn't matter as none of the students wore their robes, the one time Tala and Regulus could spend time together without anyone questioning it. No student could remember exactly who was in each House.

'So, any ideas on what we can do?' asked Tala. She jumped on to the rim of the fountain in the centre of the courtyard; she gained her balance and began to walk around it. Regulus sat down on the nearby bench. 'We can't just sit around like this. There must be something we can do.'

'Er, go play with the giant squid?' suggested Regulus. Tala raised her eyebrow at him, then span round so she walked in the other direction. 'Skim stones on the lake? Climb the beech tree?'

'No,' moaned Tala. 'Come on, Regulus, something fun.'

'We could always go to the Quidditch stadium and go for a fly,' said Regulus. 'No one ever uses it in the first week of term because none of the teams have practice. You'd have to be mental to arrange a practice this early in term. We won't get bothered doing that.'

'As great as that sounds,' said Tala, jumping off the rim and sitting beside Regulus, 'there's just one problem. I don't own a broom. I always used the school brooms and they'll still be locked away as the first years won't have had flying lessons yet and I don't want to have to go ask Madam Hooch for one.'

'Can't you borrow someone's?'

Tala was about to shake her head when a thought suddenly came to her. While she didn't have a broom and Remus always left his at home, James still had one.

'I still can't believe he did that! I've never seen that spell before in my life! And we were hidden in an alcove behind a pillar! How did he even know we were there!'

Sirius fumed all the way back to the common room after their run in with Snape, and was still fuming about it over an hour later as he sat and did his Transfiguration homework. Beside him in their favourite seats in the common room, James, Remus and Peter just looked at each other thinking the same thing. He wasn't going to let this drop for a while. Sirius hated it whenever Snape managed to hex or jinx him or James and he was going to spend the next couple of days, maybe weeks depending on how successful he was, trying to come up with a way to get him back. If Sirius had an obsession, this was it.

'Padfoot, give it a rest,' groaned James, throwing down his quill. 'We all get it. Snivellus managed to hex and you don't know how.'

'But what spell did he use?' asked Sirius, frustrated. 'I've never seen or heard of any spell that does what that spell did. And he didn't even use an incantation!'

'I don't know, mate,' said James. 'He could have found that spell anywhere, unless he made it himself.'

'No,' said Sirius, shaking his head. 'Snivellus isn't bright enough to create his own spells.'

'Obsessing over it is not going to give you an answer, Sirius,' said Remus. He too put down his quill finding it impossible to concentrate on his Charms homework with Sirius moaning. 'Why don't you just let it go?'

'Oh no, Moony, I'm not letting this one drop,' said Sirius firmly. 'Snivellus isn't going to get away with this that easily.'

'Well, while you do that, I've got Quidditch practice.' James stood up and closed his book then put it in his bag.

'Quidditch practice?' repeated Peter. He looked up from his work. 'But it's the first weekend of term. You organised a practice already?'

'We need a new Chaser as one dropped off the team last year after colliding with too many Bludgers,' explained James. 'I'm giving the team a workout before trials next week to see if any of them can play as Chaser. It's easier to find new Seekers and Keepers than Chasers as they need to have a lot of strength so previous players would be easier to train then newer ones. It's what Ashley did with me when I first joined the team.'

James shouldered his bag and headed for the stairs to the boys dormitories so he could get changed into his Quidditch robes. Meanwhile, the other boys returned to their homework. Sirius huffed and pulled his essay back to work on it; Remus flicked through his Charms textbook to look something up; and Peter chewed the end of his quill as he thought of what to write next. It wasn't until they heard James's shout did they share a look and run up to their dormitory to see what was going on.

'What's going on?'

'James, what's happened?'

The three boys stared at James as he stood by his trunk in his Quidditch robes. All he said was, 'It's gone.'

'Woo! This is brilliant!'

Tala screamed in joy as she and Regulus shot around the Quidditch pitch, Regulus flying on his Oakshaft Seventy-Nine and Tala on James's Cleansweep Four. Although she was aware that his broomstick was James's most prized possession (second to his Invisibility Cloak), Tala couldn't pass up the opportunity to go flying and so had Summoned it from James's dormitory as she knew the boys always left one of the windows open. But Regulus was right; no one ever had Quidditch practice on the first weekend of term. James would never even notice that his broom was gone.

Regulus and Tala swung round the goalposts at the far end of the pitch and started the next lap. The wind whipped at their hair and faces, their laughter ringing round the empty pitch. They flew side by side, matching each other's moves. Tala never got to do this. She wasn't a good enough flyer to ever be on the Quidditch team, nor did she want to be as it took up too much time, and so rarely ever got to go flying on a broom. Plus Regulus, who played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, could teach Tala so many tricks she'd never get to learn in lessons or from James, Sirius or Remus; the former two only used their brooms to race and the later rarely ever used his. Regulus shared the same creativeness with a broom Tala had and so they had a lot of fun the rare times they spent together.

'Hey, bet you can't do this!' Regulus shouted over to her before shooting forwards. Being a Seeker required him to be very agile. He rose several feet then went into a dive, levelling out again just before he hit the ground. His feet were centimetres from the grass. 'Ha, that was a close one!' he laughed. 'Nearly scraped my broom handle there.'

'I could so do that!' shouted Tala. 'And go one better.'

Tala pulled up the handle of James's broom then sharply pointed it back down into a dive. The ground rapidly got closer and closer. Regulus swung his broom round to watch as Tala dove. He saw Tala was barely a foot away. It didn't look like she was going to pull up. The shout came from his mouth before Regulus could stop it, but he needn't have worried. Tala swooped so close to the ground her feet brushed the grass as she levelled out. She then shot past Regulus, performing a perfect barrel-roll as she flew under where Regulus hovered, avoiding any collision.

'Told you!' she yelled, zooming off back up the pitch to mid-height.

Thoroughly impressed, Regulus flew after her and rejoined her side. Having had enough excitement, Regulus suggested that they did something a little less dangerous. From his pocket he pulled out the Golden Snitch that he'd gotten from the trunk holding the Quidditch balls in the stadium stores. Letting it free Regulus showed Tala some of the moves he used during matches while chasing the Snitch, giving her the chance to feel the rush you got from the chase.

Their fun was cut short, however, when a group of people dressed in red robes along with three others came towards the pitch. Tala and Regulus came to a halt in the centre of the pitch.

'Crap, it's James!' gasped Tala. 'He'll kill me when he sees me with his broom.'

'Screw that,' said Regulus, 'my idiot brother's with them!' Tala sent Regulus an irritated look; he didn't see it. 'You know how he'll react if he sees us together.'

'Come on, Regulus, Sirius will find out sooner or later.'

'And I choose later. I'll meet you by the Quidditch stores.'

Before Tala could stop him, Regulus shot off towards the stands decorated in Slytherin colours and disappeared behind one of the towers. When she looked round, she saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team entering the stadium, James in the lead. She watched as he saw her floating above them, instantly running towards her when he realised what she was floating on. Behind him came Remus and Sirius, as they too realised who it was. Sighing, Tala flew back to the ground, preparing herself for the reprimand she was now going to get from James _and_ Remus.

'Mate, calm down, we'll find your broom,' said Sirius. He, James, Remus and Peter were walking down to the Quidditch pitch with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for their practice. James was still fretting over his missing broom. He couldn't think what he'd done with it and wasn't impressed that he'd have to use one of the school's ones for practice. 'You probably just left it at home or something after the summer.'

'I didn't though,' said James. He pushed his hand through his hair, ruffling it. 'It was one of the first things I pack after the summer. Plus, Mum would have written to me if I'd left it behind. Someone must've taken it.'

'We'll have a proper search of the dormitory when we get back,' Remus assured him. 'It can't have gone far. A broom doesn't just fly off by itself.'

'Unless someone Summoned it,' said Sirius. He'd come to a halt having spotted something floating in the centre of the Quidditch pitch.

'What d'you mean?' asked Peter.

Sirius didn't say anything. He merely pointed in front of him to the figure floating several feet above them. The rest of the Marauder's followed his point. There, floating above them, her long red hair blowing behind her, was Tala on James's broom.

'What the –?'

James sprinted off, the other three following, to where Tala was hovering. She obviously saw him as she turned the broom and headed back to the ground. She landed just as James ran up to her, red-faced and out of breath.

'_You_ took my broom?' he gasped. 'I've just spent the last half an hour looking for it!'

'I wouldn't say, "take",' muttered Tala, 'Summoned without asking is probably more accurate.'

James let out an exasperated breath as the other three reached where he and Tala stood in the central circle of the pitch. Remus saw James's broom in Tala's hand.

'Don't tell me,' he sighed.

'Yup, Tala "borrowed" my broom,' said James. Remus rolled his eyes.

'Tala, what were you thinking?' he said. 'D'you realise what you've just done? You know how important that broom is to James. Why did you take it?'

'I just wanted to go for a fly,' she muttered. 'I never get to use a broom here. They only give first years lessons and there's no flying club, plus you never bring your broom to Hogwarts so I can't use that one. That leaves the rubbish school brooms and you have to go ask Madam Hooch to use one. You know how bad they are, James.'

'That's not the point,' replied James. He held out his hand. Tala placed his broom in it. 'Next time, ask if you want to borrow something. You wouldn't like it if I borrowed your copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ without asking.'

'I know,' muttered Tala. 'I just wanted some fun, that's all.'

'And at what expense?' asked Remus. 'You could have seriously hurt yourself. You don't have enough experience at flying to use a racing broom like James's. What would Mum have said if you'd broken something because you borrowed someone's broom without asking?' Tala didn't reply and avoided Remus's stern gaze. He let out a groan. 'Merlin, maybe one day you'll learn not to take such bloody risks.'

Tala held in the sigh that was burning in her throat. She glanced round the boys to see the rest of the Quidditch team waiting patiently for James to start the practice.

'You better go,' she mumbled quietly, 'the team's waiting for you.'

James turned away and walked over to his team. Tala glanced to her left to see Remus was still giving her a disappointed look. She gave him a hesitant smile but he merely shook his head and walked off to go sit in the stands. Peter followed. Sirius, however, remained where he was. He watched as Tala sighed and looked away. There was a dejected look on her face at the reaction of her brother and James. _All she'd done was borrow a broom_, thought Sirius. _They didn't have to be so hard on her._

'Why the long face, Hooves?'

Tala looked up to see Sirius was still standing beside her. In contrast to the others, he did not look mad. In fact, the corner of his lip gave her a small smile. Overhead, the Gryffindor Quidditch team had started their usual circuits, throwing the Quaffle to one another.

'Dunno what's got Moony and Prongs' wands in knots,' he shrugged, glancing up at James. He was hovering on his broom, watching the rest of his team. 'It's only a broom.' Sirius noticed Tala watching him. 'You looked pretty comfortable up there, if you ask me.'

'What can I say?' shrugged Tala. 'I love to fly. The rush of adrenaline I get, it's the same like when you pull a prank. You can understand that, right?'

Sirius watched the younger student for a moment or two, then said, 'Yeah, I can. Life's no fun if there isn't some element of risk in it.' He gently rubbed Tala's arm. He knew full well what it was like to have your freedom limited by others. 'You just need to find the right outlet for it. One that won't give Remus a heart attack.'

'And are you the one to give it to me?'

Tala and Sirius stared at each other. They didn't say anything more as they stood there, the only sound coming from the shouts of the Quidditch team above them. Neither had an answer to her question, nor knew that the answer was right in front of them. After a few moments, Sirius shrugged, turned and headed for the stands. He stopped though when Tala didn't follow.

'You coming to watch the practice?'

'No, I'm suppose to be meeting someone else. I'll see you later.'

Sirius nodded. He waved as Tala walked off then headed for the Gryffindor stands and joined Remus and Peter to watch the rest of the practice. Tala glanced one last time at Sirius to see his retreating back heading the opposite way. That had been a strange moment. Still, she brushed it off then ran over to the exit by the Quidditch stores. Regulus was waiting for her leaning against the wooden frame of the door.

'Hey, what happened?' he asked when Tala came out the stadium.

'Oh, nothing,' she replied. Regulus stood straight and they headed back up towards the castle. 'Just the usual reprimand from my brother.'

'Older brothers always think they're right,' sneered Regulus. Tala glanced at him. 'Sirius is always trying to tell me what to do and what to think.'

'He's only looking out for you.' Regulus laughed.

'Looking out for me? Like hell he is. Today he was telling me not to be proud of our heritage and that Lord Voldemort was mental for trying to improve things for us pure-blood wizards because he's been accused of killing a few Muggles.'

Tala instantly stopped. She stared at Regulus, completely shocked. Regulus stopped and looked back. He gave her a strange look.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'You believe in all that stuff they say about You-Know-Who?' asked Tala. 'About Muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed to learn magic and stuff.'

'Well – er – not all of it,' stumbled Regulus. 'There was no proof that he killed those Muggles.'

That wasn't what Tala meant.

'But you agree that blood purity is important?'

'Well yeah,' he shrugged. 'It's our heritage. We're the ones with the history of magic in our blood and families, not those from Muggle families and with Muggle blood.'

'Oh,' said Tala quietly, 'I never knew you felt like that.'

'Well it's not like you or I have anything to worry about,' said Regulus confidently. He set off again back up the hill towards the Herbology greenhouses. Tala followed. 'We both come from wizarding families. It's only the Muggle-borns and half-breeds like that Hagrid bloke, the groundskeeper, that Voldemort believes should turn in their wands.'

Tala didn't respond. She was very surprised to hear Regulus say all these things when she knew she shouldn't be really. He was Sirius's brother after all, and the Blacks were known for their pride in their blood. It was one of the things she'd accused Sirius of being when he and James first learnt of hers and Remus's secrets. But Sirius didn't believe any of that at all. Tala had never realised how unalike he and Regulus truly were until then. It was weird hearing something so prejudice come from Regulus as if it was a good thing while Sirius sneers at the same thing the moment You-Know-Who is brought into conversation. It was strange how two brothers, who looked so alike though neither would admit it if they were told this, could be so different in beliefs.

All of a sudden Tala's day, which had started out brilliantly, had turned rather sour.

Over at the Quidditch pitch things were going slightly better for James, now he had his broom back. He watched his team fly around the pitch as he gave them the much needed workout after the long summer break. All were slightly sluggish but after half an hour they were flying about the way they had done the previous year that had helped them win the Quidditch Cup. James was not about to give that up without a fight and he was pretty sure Professor McGonagall wouldn't either. Once satisfied, he called the team together and dismissed them so they could enjoy the rest of their Sunday. Seeing the practice was over, Sirius, Remus and Peter came down from the stands and met James at the entrance of the Gryffindor changing rooms and they walked back up to the school together.

The four boys trekked back round the perimeter of the school towards the lake. Most of the students were taking advantage of the September sun, sitting scattered about the grounds enjoying their free time, knowing a lot of hard work was to follow now that the first week of term was over. The boys sat down in the shade of the beach tree, James's broom propped up against the trunk. From his bag Remus took out his copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five_ and began reading up on Silencing Charms; Peter had pulled out his collection of Gobstones and was busy inspecting them for cracks; Sirius had sprawled out on the grass, hands behind his head and eyes closed, taking in a couple of rays.

James glanced round at his friends, grinning, then grabbed a hold of the lowest branch on the beech tree. James heaved himself into the tree and began to climb it. He could see all of the grounds. Some first years were running about chasing each other near the lake's edge. There was a group of boys over the far side of the grounds throwing stones at the branches of the Whomping Willow to make it snap. Other students were following Sirius's example and were merely sunbathing. James smiled. There was honestly no better place to be than Hogwarts. He looked up for the next branch, seeing a nice sturdy one he could lie on. He made to grab a nearer one to haul himself on to it when a couple of students caught his eye.

A few feet from where he and his fellow Marauders were James could see Frank, the boy they shared a dormitory with, Alice, Dorcas and Evans walking across the grass chatting to one another. James blinked, moving so he could get a better look. Frank had just said something that had made the three girls laugh. _How is he so damn smooth around girls?_ thought James, irritated. At that point Evans ran her hand through her hair to push it back off her face. It flowed easily through her fingers, a red waterfall shimmering in the bright sun. The smile that had been hidden behind it was revealed as she looked away from Frank to say something to Dorcas. James didn't know what it was but he couldn't look away. Her smile was just so … so … He felt himself lean forwards to get a better view as the group were moving further away from the tree he was in when – _snap!_

Without warning the branch that James had been leaning on broke off leaving him with nothing to hold on to. He struggled to keep his balance on the branch he was standing on but to no avail. His foot slipped and next minute he was sprawled on the ground covered in broken twigs and leaves. His fall gained the attention of Sirius, Remus and Peter, all wondering what on earth had happened, as well as Frank's group. They were staring over at the beech tree to see what all the commotion was about. As James shrugged off the questions of his friends, he noticed this. Evans had seen him fall out of the tree and he could swear, hidden behind her hand, was a smirk of laughter on her face. _Great_, he thought, _just what I want her to see_. His eyes caught hers making her jump slightly. He gave her an awkward smile, only for her to roll her eyes and walk off with Alice and the others in response.

A yell was what had attracted Lily, Alice, Dorcas and Frank's attention away from their conversation as they walked across the grounds. Looking round they saw none other than James Potter fall out of the beech tree. He landed with a hard thump shoulders first on the ground taking a collection of twigs and leaves with him, much to the surprise of his friends. A tiny wave of concern to whether he was all right passed across Lily's face to be replaced more fully with a small burst of laughter. She covered her mouth to try and stop it; as much as she'd loathe admitting it but at that point Potter actually looked … funny. His friends got up to see what had happened with Potter brushing them off as well as the leaves. Next moment he was looking straight at her. Lily jumped. They stared at each other, Potter giving her an uneasy smile. Instantly Lily rolled her eyes. He'd just done that to gain her attention.

'Come on, guys,' she said, turning away. 'His ego should have cushioned the blow.'

James watched as Evans walked away then let out a groan. When Sirius asked what was up he pointed at their retreating backs and the three of them got the point.

'Put it this way, Prongs,' said Sirius. 'At least she didn't see your Snitch boxers.'

Seeing James's Snitch boxers would have been the least of his problems, though secretly James was thankful he wore a belt round his trousers. It was more the fact that Evans had seen him fall out the tree that annoyed him. Well, at least neither she nor the other three knew it was because _he'd seen her_ first which had made him fall out in the first place.

'Stupid Evans …'

It was clear school was officially back in full swing by the second week of term for the Marauders. In no time at all the teachers were piling on the homework with constant reminders that this was their OWL year and so it was vital more so than ever so far in their school career that the students in their year worked hard and revised for their exams properly and thoroughly in the summer term. Of course, naturally James and Sirius took it in their stride. They could still be seen messing about at the back of the classroom during lessons, much to Professor McGonagall's dismay ("It's only your time you are wasting!" she told them after Wednesday's Transfiguration lesson before giving them detention for disrupting the class when they were Vanishing mice), as well as pulling practical jokes in the corridors and jinxing unsuspecting students. One person particularly irritated by their casual attitude was Lily, nor was she shy about voicing her opinion.

'The way you two carry on, you'll be lucky to scrape an "A" on any of your OWLs,' she told them fiercely one night in the common room when they'd bewitched a couple of cushions to hit each other or anyone who tried to stop them instead of doing their Charms essay. It didn't help matters when one of the cushions then hit her in the back of the head having been smacked by the other.

'Whoops,' laughed Sirius. 'Sorry, Lily Flower.'

Lily groaned, 'Remus!' He looked up from his essay at her. 'They're your friends. You stop them.'

'Er, well,' Remus looked at James and Sirius, 'maybe you better stop. We've got quite a few essays to do after all.'

'All right,' sighed James, 'I will. If Evans here will go out with me, that is.' Lily glared at James and threw the cushion that had hit her at him. It hit him squarely in the chest making James go "Oof". She was already walking away by the time he said, 'I'll take that as a "maybe" then?' to her retreating back.

Nonetheless James and Sirius could still be seen every so often sitting in their favourite chairs in the common room or in the corner in the library working on an essay they had been set or looking for a book they needed for their homework. As much as a pair of troublemakers they were, even they knew when to be serious and knuckled down. Especially when it was because of a friend was the reason they needed to be.

The full moon came sooner than the Marauders had anticipated and before they knew it, it was time for James, Sirius and Peter to put their Animagus forms to the test. In the days leading up to it Remus steadily became more ill. His complexion took on a pale colour with dark circles appearing beneath his eyes. As usual he received questions regarding his sudden illness but with help from James, Sirius and Peter any curious people were turned away. As Saturday approached Remus's symptoms began to deteriorate and his headaches worsened. Luckily they weren't as bad as they had been in his younger years although feeling like you're seconds away from fainting every so often didn't help things.

When Saturday finally rolled around Remus was barely able to get out of bed due to exhaustion. He was just thankful that he could sleep in. James, Sirius and Peter knocked on his bedpost when they got up only to see he didn't look good and so left for breakfast without him. They came back in no time accompanied by Tala and a plateful of food for Remus. When he asked where they had got it from, James revealed that he and Sirius had discovered a portrait of a bowl of fruit down the staircase the Hufflepuffs used. Apparently if you tickled the pear in it, you'd gain access to the kitchens.

'How did you discover this?' asked Remus, curious. He took a bite of toast they had brought him. 'The only students who do use that staircase _are_ the Hufflepuffs.'

'We were curious about the Hufflepuff common room,' shrugged Sirius. 'So we followed a couple down there the other day. There wasn't anything at the bottom of those stairs apart from a corridor with two portraits at the end of it, one of which was a bowl of fruit. By process of elimination, and the fact that's the only portrait in Hogwarts that is solely of food, we guessed the kitchens were behind it.'

'Right,' sighed Remus. He finished what he could of the breakfast the others had brought for him and lay back on his pillow. 'And when did you discover this?'

'Two days ago, wasn't it?' said James. Sirius nodded.

'I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?' asked Remus, a hint of amusement in his voice.

'Least they made you smile,' said Tala. She brushed back Remus's hair to feel his forehead. 'That's the first time you've smiled in days. Still, least your fever's coming down a bit. I'd say a day's rest tomorrow and you'll be right as rain on Monday.'

Remus let out a small groan, 'Least the recovery doesn't take as long anymore. If only the illness could do that.'

'It will in time,' said Tala gently. Remus looked at her. She gave him a small smile which he returned.

'So back to the kitchens,' said Remus. He sat up a bit on his bed. 'Any other parts of the castle you guys have discovered without me?'

'No, unfortunately,' said Sirius. 'Although we've worked out which girls bathroom to stay away from.'

'They were waiting for me,' Tala explained before Remus could ask what they were doing in a girls bathroom. 'I was desperate for the loo after Transfiguration and Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was the closest. She took something I said about myself to be about her when I was looking in the mirror by the sinks and went wailing into the nearest toilet. The boys heard it outside.'

'It sounded like a banshee,' said Peter. 'Sent shivers down my spine.'

'Least we know not to go in there,' said James. 'Not that we were planning to or anything,' he added when he saw the look Remus was giving him.

'I should hope not,' he said.

'Still,' said Sirius. 'Least we know where the kitchens are now. Means we can sneak food whenever we want. It's run by house-elves so they'll be more than happy to provide us with whatever we wanted. Now all we have to find is whereabouts Filch keeps all the things he confiscates that are too large to fit in his office and we'll be sorted for the next three years.'

'The rate you're going it'll be a matter of time before the two of you know your way round every bit of Hogwarts,' sighed Remus. 'Then you'd need a map just to remember where everything is.'

James looked at Sirius; Sirius looked back at James. A silent thought passed between them and they shared a grin.

'All in due time, Moony,' James then said. 'All in due time.'

Conversation soon diverted to a more important topic, one that had Remus particularly concerned. While James and Sirius had more than proven that they could stand up to a werewolf thanks to Tala's stupid test a few weeks back, and while Tala had found a better animal to transform into in order to withstand Remus during the full moon, Remus couldn't help feeling worried about how tonight was going to go. For a start, how on earth were James, Sirius and Peter going to get down to the Whomping Willow in the first place?

'It's all right when it's just Tala,' argued Remus. 'She just hid in my pocket until we got there. It'd be a bit suspicious if a dog, a stag and a rat followed me to the Whomping Willow. Madam Pomfrey would probably try to shoo them away.'

'That's easy,' said James. 'We've got it all planned out.'

'The four of us are going to follow you down underneath the Invisibility Cloak,' explained Sirius. 'That way we can follow you to the Willow after you've left and Tala can show us which root we have to prod to get inside.'

'That's when I'll transform into Wormtail and go and press the root, right James?' said Peter.

'Which will let us into the Willow and we'll meet you at the Shrieking Shack before you're due to transform,' finished James. 'It's fool proof. And afterwards, Tala can continue going down with you in your pocket and us three will make our own way down once we know what to do and how to get there.'

'And how will you know when to get there before I transform?' asked Remus.

'With these.' James went over to his bedside table. From the drawer he pulled out a small pile of parchment. He showed them to Remus. There were lists of dates and times in columns going down the parchment. 'They're dates of when the full moon is to happen. Sirius, Peter and I have been looking up all the known dates as far as we could leading up to when we're to finish school. See,' he pointed at the second date on the sheet, 'next month's full moon is meant to occur on the eighteenth of November at just gone eleven o'clock that night.'

'You've got to admit, Remus,' said Tala, looking at the dates, 'they've done their research.'

'It's still dangerous though,' muttered Remus. 'What if they got hurt? It's one thing you turning up with scratches every month, another thing if four of you do.'

'We'll worry about that later,' shrugged Sirius. 'Speaking of which, I better disappear. Got a date.'

Tala instantly looked up. Sirius had a date?

'With who?' asked James curiously. 'It's only the third week of term.'

'With Rosie in our year,' said Sirius. He got off the bed and stretched. 'Asked her out after Herbology the other day.'

'Isn't she really clingy?' asked Tala. 'And Lily says she always gives her boyfriends terrible pet names.'

'Not to my knowledge,' said Sirius. He raised his eyebrow at Tala. 'Why? Are you jealous?' he teased.

'No,' said Tala shortly, turning away. 'But if you're OK with her calling you her little "Siwius", be my guest and date her.'

'I will,' said Sirius.

'Fine by me,' shrugged Tala.

'Fine.'

'Fine.'

The two looked at each other, James, Remus and Peter looking at them. Neither said anything before Sirius turned away to pull on a different shirt and Tala nicked the remaining bacon Remus had left on his plate. James, Remus and Peter shared a look. That was weird.

'Well I've got things to do today as well,' said James, getting up. He picked up the empty plate. 'Got a couple of essays I need to finish off and I better get this plate back to the kitchens.'

'Me too,' said Peter. 'I need to finish McGonagall's Transfiguration essay otherwise she'll give me another detention.'

'I'll help,' said James. 'We'll see you later, Remus.'

James and Peter left the dormitory. A few minutes later, having changed his clothes, Sirius also left to go find Rosie for their date. Tala watched as he walked across the dormitory for the door. He briefly glanced back at her, then left, closing the door behind him. Tala didn't look away until Remus poked her in the side.

'Something wrong?' he asked.

'No,' she replied swiftly. 'Just thinking about how much Sirius will regret asking Rosie out when he realises how irritating she is when it comes to boys. Why d'you think she and Lily don't hang out much? Because she's boy crazy and Lily isn't very interested in dating at the moment.'

'If only that were the case for you as well,' joked Remus. Tala gave him a shove. 'Kidding, Tala, kidding!'

'No you're not. You'd flip your cauldron if you ever found out I was dating someone.'

'So long as they're not broom-riding, jinx-happy hooligans, I'll be happy.'

'Better cross James and Sirius off then, hadn't I?' teased Tala.

'You wouldn't seriously date them, would you?'

Tala shook her head, 'You'd have to pay me a hundred Galleons before I agree to going out with either of them. James is too hung up on Lily and finding ways to impress her while irritating her at the same time, and Sirius changes girlfriends so often he'd forget which ones of his fan club he's dated and lose track of the order he has them in.'

Remus laughed.

'Then I have nothing to worry about if that's your opinion of them.'

Time seemed to pass in a matter of moments and before they knew it, the three boys and Tala were sitting down in the common room waiting for when they needed to sneak away to meet Remus down at the Shrieking Shack. He had already left to go to the Hospital Wing so that Madam Pomfrey could take him down to the Whomping Willow. They had to give it fifteen minutes before they followed. James kept checking the clock over the fireplace as Sirius dished the dirt on his date earlier that day with Rosie Dingle (a fellow Gryffindor in their year), all of them privately anxious about what was going to happen tonight.

'It's time,' said James. 'Let's go.'

The group got up from their seats and headed for the entrance to the common room. Checking no one was watching, James ushered the others out first before following them. Back inside the common room Lily saw the four of them slip out of the room. _Probably off to cause more trouble_, she thought. Lily did note, however, that Remus wasn't with them. He'd been ill again this week, the exact same symptoms he'd had before. An uncomfortable feeling cropped up in Lily's stomach. Not too long ago her curiosity at where Remus went every month had gotten the better of her only for her to discover a horrible truth. It just didn't seem fair, someone so kind having to deal with something so terrible. At least it seemed no one else knew. People in their year still asked what was wrong with him every month but they were always turned away. Lily wasn't about to let on to Remus that she knew what he was. She just hoped nothing bad ever happened because of it.

'And where d'you think you four are off to?' asked the portrait of the Fat Lady as she swung close, spying the four students walking away. 'You know curfew is in an hour.'

'We know,' explained James. 'But we need to go to the library to look something up.'

The four of them walked off before the Fat Lady could retort. Turning the corner in the corridor, James pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and threw it around them. They started moving again. They didn't have time to waste.

'You'll need to think of a better way to do that,' whispered Tala. They walked down the next corridor leading to the changing staircase. 'You can't have the Fat Lady seeing you walk out and not come back again until late at night or even the next morning.'

'Yes,' agreed James. 'We're going to have to make sure we're out of the common room whenever there's a full moon.'

The school was silent as James, Sirius, Peter and Tala snuck down the staircase towards the Entrance Hall as by now all of the students would either be in their common rooms or in the library doing homework. Every so often one of the school ghosts would pass them but they remained silent and careful enough so that they wouldn't get caught. There was no sign of Filch or his mangy cat Mrs Norris meaning they hadn't started their nightly prowls yet as there was still an hour before curfew and the prefects weren't due to start until nine o'clock as well. It appeared it would be smooth sailing down to the Whomping Willow. They just hadn't taken into account one thing: Peeves.

The poltergeist appeared without warning armed with dozens of inkwells he'd obviously stolen from one of the classrooms. He was happily chucking them about creating all sorts of racket when one hit the floor at James and the others' feet. The inkwell smashed and a wave of ink splashed up the hem of the Cloak, causing James to swear and catch Peeves's attention. Quickly James shoved the others into the nearest corner of the staircase making sure that the ink stain was against the wall so Peeves couldn't see it. Peter, being the smallest, was shoved right into the corner, Sirius in front of him to the left and Tala to his right, James pressing himself in in front of them. As they were pressed together Sirius felt his body get pressed right against Tala's as she felt the same; his heart jumped the moment they touched and he looked down at the younger student to find her staring equally as surprised back at him. Peeves floated down to the third floor and looked around, his beady black eyes searching the corridor.

'We'll never make it down to the Whomping Willow in time at this rate,' hissed Sirius, pulling his attention away from Tala and the close proximity he was in to her. 'We need to get rid of Peeves.'

'Easier said than done,' James hissed back.

It seemed like forever that Peeves inspected the level for something suspicious. He gave up a few minutes later having decided that throwing more inkwells but would be much more interesting than staring into a corner. The four let out a relieved sigh. James checked his watch.

'We've got ten minutes. We're never going to make it.'

'Going down to the grounds, are we?' said a voice near to them. The four of them looked around. It was coming from the portrait beside them. It was of a pale woman dressed in a black dress and a witch's hat both with moons on. The name at the top of the portrait read "Damara Dodderidge". 'I can offer you a quicker way.'

'How so?' asked James.

'Behind me is a secret passage that leads directly to the base of the Clock Tower,' said the portrait. 'You know, not all of us portraits are merely pretty pictures. You're aware some of us hide rooms, well, others of us hide passages.'

'Can we use the passage?' asked Sirius. 'We're really in a hurry.'

'Of course you can, but you'll need a password,' said Damara.

'But we don't have the password,' said Peter.

'You will if you can answer me this: give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?'

None of the boys seemed to know the answer until –

'Fire!' said Tala. 'The answer's fire, isn't it? If you feed a fire then it will continue to burn but if you throw water on it, it'll die out.'

'Well done,' chimed Damara. 'I see a I'm in the presence of a fellow Ravenclaw.' The boys looked at Tala; she shrugged. 'Very well, you may pass. Best remember the password if you wish to use my portrait again, mind you don't go spreading it around though.'

Damara swung inwards revealing a dark corridor.

'Cheers,' said James and the four of them rushed inside.

'"Presence of a Ravenclaw"?' repeated Sirius as they ran down the corridor. He gave Tala a look.

'Ravenclaws are good at riddles,' shrugged Tala. 'That's how they get into their common room, with a riddle instead of a password. My Mum was one and she used to give me and Remus riddles to work out.'

'But you're a Gryffindor,' persisted Sirius.

'But I could've been a Ravenclaw,' countered Tala.

'Not the time, guys,' said James. 'Come on, we've got to get a move on.'

Halfway down the corridor was a small flight of stairs leading up to the rest of the corridor. The four hurried down it as fast as they could without disturbing the Cloak too much. One by one torch brackets illuminated to light their way, burning out again as soon as they'd passed. At the other end was another frame with another portrait. James pushed it open, Damara's voice sounding again as he did so.

'Thanks again,' said Sirius, as she swung shut again.

'Any time,' called Damara.

"We're going to have to remember that,' Sirius added quietly to James, 'and add it to that map Remus suggested we make.' James grinned and nodded.

The shortcut cut minutes off their journey down to the Whomping Willow. They crossed the Clock Tower Courtyard and the Covered Bridge, pulling off the Cloak and breaking into a sprint once they were clear of the castle. Sticking close to the edge of the castle, the four students ran round the edge along the hill towards the back of Hogwarts where the Whomping Willow was located. Tala checked her watch.

'Remus should be in the Shrieking Shack by now,' she said. 'It takes fifteen minutes to walk the passageway between here and the Shack as it is on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and it takes ten minutes to get there –'

'Get to the point, Tala,' said James.

'In other words, we need to hurry up,' Tala finished. The Whomping Willow was just ahead. 'Peter, the knot that you need to press is beneath the largest root. Transform and I'll show you which one. Watch out for the branches though.'

'Oh, er … OK,' replied Peter nervously.

Tala sped up and transformed, Peter following suit. The two rats ran off into the grass towards the tree. James and Sirius stopped when they reached the perimeter of the tree. They watched as its branches suddenly sprung to life as the two rats approached it. They whipped and they thrashed at the ground, thick twisted branches smashing on to the earth below from great heights. Tala ran in front of Wormtail dodging the branches with ease having done so on previous occasions. Wormtail tried as best as he could to follow her path. He squeaked every time the branch hit the ground near him. It felt like an earthquake.

'_Ignore the branches!_' Tala squeaked at him. '_Keep running!_'

'_E-easier said than done!_' replied Wormtail.

The rats reached the tree. Tala leapt up on to the roots and ran up it. Peter followed. They ran along the root, on to another larger one, then round the edge where a smaller more unnoticeable one to a person looking at the tree was growing. Tala pointed it out to Wormtail. With a nod they leapt on to it. The root descended the moment Tala hit it, landing perfectly on her paws. Wormtail landed with a dull thud beside her on his backside. Above them the branches instantly froze in place. Seeing this James and Sirius ran across the remaining grass over to the tree to where a secret hole between the roots was hidden. Tala and Wormtail leapt off the root and ran round to the hole. They dove into it, sliding on the mud down to the floor, and moved away from the entrance for James and Sirius. They transformed to wait for the other two. In a matter of moments, James and Sirius slid down the hole and landed beside them.

'Nice job, guys,' said James.

'Piece of cake,' said Tala, winking.

'When you've had practice at it,' muttered Peter.

'Come on, we're late,' Sirius then said. He checked his watch. 'The moon comes out in fifteen minutes. We should be there by now. Remus is probably getting anxious.'

The four set off up the passage, Tala in the lead. It was now or never.

Remus was heartily relieved when James, Sirius, Peter and Tala's heads appeared at the trapdoor in the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Celebrations at getting past the Whomping Willow were cut short, however, as in a matter of moments a strip of light appeared on the floor of the upstairs room where they were gathered. With Remus's warning they transformed and a stag, a dog, a rat and a white horse, the animal Tala found easier to be in order to withstand Remus, stood in their places. His body burned and ached as he transformed until he relinquished control. Now it was time to see if James, Sirius and Peter would stick by him like they had in the past, or whether the idea of harming their friend in order to control him was too much for them.

The night was brutal to say the least. The werewolf was suspicious to the presence of other animals in the Shrieking Shack having been used to solitude for years, the company of only one other wolf in the past, and so attacked without hesitation. It was clear instantly that Peter was no use once they were with the werewolf and it took Prongs pinning the werewolf to the wall with his antlers and Padfoot scratching its face with his paw before it let go of the scruff Wormtail's neck. He instantly crawled up Hooves's leg and on to the top of the bed to keep out the way as the larger animals dealt with the werewolf. It hurt Prongs and Padfoot to have to do this to Remus but until the werewolf was used to seeing them like it was the wolf Tala used to transform into then they would have to hurt him back. Until then, Moony was not there.

The moon finally waned at half five the following morning. James was the first to wake, his body aching more than it ever had before. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it up. Looking around, he took his glasses out of his pocket so he could see the damage. Remus was lying curled up on the floor beneath the window facing away from him; Peter had finally come down from the canopy of the bed and was fast asleep on the ruined mattress; Sirius was lying stretched out on the floor beside James; and Tala, the only one still in her animal form was lying guard by the door. James got up and stretched, wincing when he felt the various cuts he'd received. Still, he had to wake the others before Madam Pomfrey arrived to collect Remus.

'Sirius,' James whispered, bending down to shake him awake. 'Sirius!' It took a couple of goes but finally Sirius opened his eyes.

'What time is it?' he groaned quietly.

'Half five,' James replied. He crept over to the bed to wake Peter. 'We need to get out of here. Wake Tala and let's go.'

Once Tala had transformed back to her normal self the four students snuck out of the Shrieking Shack and walked back up the passageway towards Hogwarts. All of them were covered in various scratches and bits of blood, their bodies aching from the fighting. James and Sirius thoughts that it was going to be no problem at all were decidedly wrong. They trudged back round the castle to the Clock Tower, throwing the Invisibility Cloak back on so they weren't caught on their way back through the castle. Damara sleepily opened up for them when they said the password to her passage allowing them to get back to the third floor quickly. They climbed the few floors back to the seventh floor and to the Gryffindor Tower. They were unbelievably shattered by the time they reached their destination and all were very glad it was a Sunday. The Fat Lady too was still asleep and so they were able to get inside without her realising they had been gone the entire night. Once inside James pulled the Cloak off them. It was five past six by the time they got back, their sore bodies making them take longer to get there. They collapsed in their favourite chairs glad to be back.

'Merlin, I ache,' said Sirius. 'How the hell did you do this for three years, Tala?'

'You get used to it after a while,' yawned Tala. 'But Remus'll get used to seeing you in a few month's time and he'll attack you less.'

'That's reassuring, I'm sure,' said James, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Tala sent him a look but James was too tired to respond. The four of them remained slumped in their chairs eventually all them beginning to doze. They were all happily asleep in the corner in a matter of minutes. It wasn't until an hour later that they were woken.

A pair of footsteps came down the stairs followed by a quiet gasp. James's eyes clenched at the noise then opened. A pair of green eyes stared at him and the others from the stairs. Instantly he shoved Sirius awake who in turn shoved Tala and Peter when he saw who was at the foot of the staircase.

'Lily,' gasped Tala when she saw her.

Lily had woken early from a restless night's sleep. She'd eventually relented from trying to get back to sleep and had got dressed to go down to the common room to wait for breakfast. She walked down the stairs to go sit in the common room with a book, coming to an abrupt stop when she saw she wouldn't be alone. Gathered in the corner sat Tala with Potter, Black and their other friend Peter Pettigrew, all four of them covered in scratches and their clothes torn and slightly bloody. Potter was the first to wake. He opened his eyes and sat up when he heard her gasp. They fell on her and took on a shocked look. He automatically nudged Black who also woke and looked at her, mimicking Potter's reaction and nudging Tala and Pettigrew awake as well.

'Lily,' gasped Tala. She looked as shocked as the rest of them.

'What on earth have you four been doing?' said Lily, walking over to them. To her surprise there was no hint of exasperation or reprimand in her voice; instead it sounded like concern. 'Where did you get all those scratches?'

'None of your business, Evans,' said James. He stood up. 'Why d'you care what we do?'

'I don't,' replied Lily straight away. 'You're usually up to something idiotic and dangerous which normally lands you in detention. It's just this is the first time you've actually come back injured.'

'So we've got a few scratches,' shrugged James, 'just keep your wand out of other people's business. This has nothing to do with you.'

'James,' hissed Tala.

'What?' he said back. 'I'm right!' he said defensively. 'This is nothing to do with her.'

'I know but –' Lily cut Tala off.

'It's all right, Tala,' she said, glaring at Potter. 'Potter's right, this is nothing to do with me. I don't care what you do and whether you injure yourselves doing it. It's your own fault in the first place if you hurt yourselves. I'm just surprised you're in on whatever they're doing as well.'

'Because I have to be,' said Tala. 'Lily, if I could tell you what we're doing, I would but …' Tala looked at the others. James gave her a warning look; Sirius shook his head; Peter just stared between them. 'It's not my place to say anything.'

'In other words, butt out, Evans,' finished James.

James saw Lily's expression change when he said that. Something passed over her eyes, those brilliant green eyes. It looked almost like … she'd been hurt by his words. But come on, this was Evans; she didn't get hurt by what James said. She was a complete cold case. His words didn't hurt her. Did they?

A look of hurt crossed over Lily's face. She looked at Tala to see a sorry expression on her face. Lily could tell she didn't like lying to her but it seemed she had no choice. Potter had probably done something to make sure she didn't tell on them.

'Fine,' said Lily, regaining her composure. 'I'll see you later, Tala.'

She sent one last look at Potter then walked over to the portrait hole and left.

'James, that was a bit harsh,' said Tala instantly when Lily was gone. 'She was only asking if we were all right. You didn't have to go and snap at her!'

'I just – I don't want her finding out about Remus,' James replied. He ran his hand through his hair. 'I didn't mean to be so blunt but I've got a point. If we tell her it's nothing to do with her then she won't bother us again. We can't risk her telling McGonagall on us or it could jeopardise the secret.'

'I know,' said Tala bracingly. 'You just didn't need to be so mean.'

James didn't reply. He meant what he said but Tala was right. He shouldn't have said it the way he did. That look that had crossed Evans's face for the shortest of seconds … For some reason it had hurt James to see it. That emotion shouldn't be seen in her eyes, those green eyes. Not again.

Term progressed steadily from the end of September, through October, and into November. The weather remained warm until the wetter weather of November hit the castle. Clouds could constantly be seen in the sky as the winter weather set in and it seemed to rain for days on end as they got shorter. Work for the students also began to get harder the further they got into the term. A brief reprieve was granted during mid-October with the first Hogsmeade trip of the year as well as the first match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor against Slytherin. It was an enjoyable break from work for the students, especially as Gryffindor beat Slytherin by a healthy ninety points, but come Monday morning it was back to work.

On top of that the Marauders still had the full moons. Tala's words of it getting easier the more times the werewolf saw James and the others in their Animagus forms still seemed rather doubtful to them by the time the full moon came around in October but it was still only their second time attempting it. Having learnt from their first go, they had made sure they were out of the common room by the time Remus left for the Hospital Wing and had snuck back into the castle and gone straight to their dormitories instead of hanging about so as not to be questioned again like they had before. It still didn't stop the stares they received when people saw their cuts but the four of them just ignored it.

Lily was always one of these people to notice. Once a month she would see the Marauders and Tala all looking worse for wear and moments away from falling asleep in class but after the reprimand she got from Potter the first time she saw them like this, Lily kept firmly out of it. She didn't want to know what they were up to nor did she care but for some reason, despite herself, she couldn't help being concerned for their safety. Potter had always been a reckless toerag but even he knew when he was doing something dangerous and where to draw the line. The fact that it was continuing and hadn't been a one-time thing was what got to her the most. She just hoped they weren't doing what she had a feeling they were doing and that it didn't have anything to do with Remus's whereabouts during his illness.

Remus, however, despite not being aware of it during the full moon was very thankful for the other Marauders' company during that time. In the past he'd always repressed his memories from the full moon but the more times James and the others were there, the less he chose to forget them. When they visited him in the Hospital Wing the following day he'd tell they whatever moments he could remember from the previous night and anything he could recall that he felt. Though he did not really show it when he was in that form, Remus was glad for the company. The full moons were always such a lonely time for him. Now he had his friends with him, both during school and at night and that one thought made the entire thing seem just that little bit more bearable. It was reassuring to the others that they at least having some influence on him during those times.

The only other person to start noticing James and the other's strange injuries was Severus. He'd been suspicious for years regarding that Remus Lupin's illnesses since their first year, even more so when they studied magical beasts in their third year in Defence Against the Dark Arts. He suffered from the exact same symptoms every month without fail. It was strange. Then there was the fact around that time Lupin's younger sister, whenever he saw her meeting up with Lupin, Potter and Black, seemed to gain quite a few scratches without much explanation behind them or so he'd heard from listening to conversations concerning them. Now in their fifth year things were getting even stranger. Lupin's sister no longer was the only one appearing with scratches all over her. In their Tuesday's Potions lessons in the last week of September Potter, Black and their little friend Pettigrew all came into class bearing the exact same scratches and the previous week Lupin had been ill.

'It's suspicious, that's all I'm saying,' said Severus firmly. He stood with his back against the wall in the Paved Courtyard next to Lily during lunch break on Friday. 'No one falls ill with the exact same symptoms every month without fail for five years. And now Potter and his idiot friends have the same scratches Lupin's sister always gets. You can't say that's not weird!'

'Yes, it is strange,' said Lily. She'd heard Severus go on about Remus's illness many times before. Now he had noticed Potter and Black's injuries, it had only deepened his suspicion. 'But so what? What those toerags enjoy doing in their free time is nothing to do with either you or I.'

'They're up to something,' said Severus. Lily sighed; it appeared he hadn't heard anything she'd said. 'D'you know what the strangest thing of all is, though?' he asked, facing Lily.

'What?'

'Have you ever noticed the full moon always happens at the peak of Lupin's illness?' said Severus. He raised his eyebrows at Lily, his stare intense.

'What's your point?' replied Lily cautiously. She didn't like where this was going.

'You know what they say about full moons, Lily,' said Severus, exasperated. 'Even you Muggle-borns have these stories except for us they're real. What can a full moon do to a person?' Lily shrugged and shook her head although she now knew exactly what Severus was on about. 'Werewolves!' he hissed. 'When a full moon appears, it can transform someone who's been bitten into a werewolf!'

'Oh, Sev, that's ridiculous!' said Lily, brushing off his theory. 'You mean to tell me that you think Remus Lupin's a werewolf? They're fairytales!'

'Not for us,' said Severus. 'You did third year Defence Against the Dark Arts, you know they're real.'

'Well, yeah, but Remus? It seems so unlikely.'

'Why? He has all the right symptoms and he's always ill every month around the time the full moon is due.'

'But it's just a theory,' said Lily. 'You have no proof and you wouldn't be able to get any even if Remus _is_ a werewolf. They're a danger to any human who goes near them.'

'You don't believe me, do you?' said Severus abruptly. He gave Lily an accusing look. She looked away.

'I didn't say that,' Lily said firmly. 'I just don't believe Remus could be one.'

Severus stared at Lily, hoping if he did so long enough she would see his point of view. Lily deliberately avoided his gaze. After a few moments, Severus let out an irritated breath and turned away.

'Mark my words, I'm going to find out what they're doing. Somehow, I will and maybe that will get them expelled. They deserve it.'

Lily glanced at Severus. He wasn't going to let this drop, was he? But if he was right, like Lily had thought herself as well, then he could get himself in serious danger. It was one thing letting Potter and his cronies do this but Lily couldn't let Severus get involved too. Luckily the bell signalled the end of break and the subject was dropped.

Severus didn't drop it, however, nor did his suspicions go unnoticed by some of the other students. His fellow Slytherins called it his obsession; a dark haired girl in his year called Prunella Burke who he had Arithmancy with commented if he didn't spend so much time trying to work out what those four Gryffindors were doing he might actually get a girlfriend for once, not that Severus had much interest in dating; and every so often students from the other Houses in his year would notice him eyeing the them carefully at meals or during lessons. He was determined to find out what those Marauders as they'd dubbed themselves he'd discovered were up to and prove to Lily that he was right and they were nothing more than a bunch of troublemaking louts who deserved nothing more than being expelled from Hogwarts.

Snow finally hit the castle in late Novemeber. A thick blanket of snow iced the castle and grounds turning it into a glistening white ice palace and Hagrid's hut into a stone version of a gingerbread house. The cold winds the snow brought with it whistled through the glassless windows making the students opt to wear their jumpers and cardigans under their robes, some even going as far as wearing their House scarves and gloves when walking around the castle corridors as well as out in the grounds. At least the classrooms had Heating Charms on them was the thought of many of the students, particularly the younger ones. Out in the grounds students left deep footprint trails as they battled their way to either Herbology lessons or their Care of Magical Creatures class while during breaks the majority of the older students opted to stay in doors instead of engaging in snowball fights like the excitable first and second years.

Of course not all the older students were against a bit of fun in the snow. For James and Sirius the snow always presented a golden opportunity for them with the soft white powder: bewitched snowball fights. Standing within the shelter of the courtyard walls or beneath the trees or behind the stones in the Stone Circle, the two of them would make a pile of snowballs for ammunition and bewitch them to fly at unsuspecting students, float behind others or, their personal favourite, pelt Filch and Mrs Norris until he retreated back into the castle much to the amusement of Peter and Remus (though he hid his smirks). Every so often a snowball war would then break out between the Marauders and some of the other students which would mean Remus was dragged into "defending the Marauder name" as Sirius put it whether he liked it or not, the fight not ending until the bell went to signal the start of lessons or someone surrendered.

'It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt,' said Lily. She, Alice and Tala were watching the Marauders battling a group of fourth year Ravenclaws one lunch break from the safety of the beech tree. It was six against four until Sirius managed to rope Tala's friend Jordan in to help them. Their eyes followed as three of the Marauder's snowballs pelted towards a crouched Hufflepuff boy gathering more snow. 'Not to mention they play dirty.'

'Oh lighten up, Lily,' said Alice. 'It's a harmless snowball fight. What possibly could happen?'

'When James and Sirius are involved, pretty much anything,' said Tala. Not seconds later, a snowball the size of someone's head was launched into the air at the Hufflepuffs. The nearest ones scattered. 'My point proven.'

'I like snow as much as the next person,' said Lily reasonably, 'I just don't see whatever happened to a good old hand-thrown snowball fight.' The three girls stepped away from their shelter in order to head up back the hill in time for class. 'Out of all the pastimes wizards share with Muggles, why do they have to go one better and –'

Lily didn't finish her sentence, instead screaming as a large cold and wet snowball hit the back of head. Two more screams followed from Alice and Tala as another two snowballs hit them. Lily, Alice and Tala span round to see James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all cracking up with laughter having thrown the offending snowballs.

'Aww man, that was brilliant!' laughed James. 'Your face, Evans! Priceless!'

Lily felt her cheeks grow red.

'Why that arrogant little –!'

'Lily,' said Tala, cutting her off. Lily looked at the younger student. She saw Tala had drawn out her wand. The boys had also noticed this. 'Don't get mad.' Tala bent down and made a snowball then tapped it with her wand saying, '_Wingardium Leviosa_.' The snowball began to float in front of her. 'Get even.'

The Marauders now all had a distinct worried look on their faces. Lily, Alice and Tala shared a look, the other two girls also drawing out their wands. Whatever the boys had dished out for the Hufflepuffs, they easily went one better with the simple use of a Multiplication Charm until the four of them were running for cover and the girls were walking back to the castle, satisfied at having gotten revenge for them soaking their hair.

'Merlin,' breathed Remus. He peered out from behind the beech tree to see Lily, Alice and Tala walk back up to the castle. 'A dragon hath no flame like a witch scorned.'

'You can say that again,' said James, his wet hair sticking to his face. 'Man, Evans has got one hot temper on her.'

'Tala's not exactly an angel herself when it comes to getting even,' added Sirius.

'Still,' said James. He watched the three girls walk off, his eyes focus on only one of them. 'I know redheads are known for their tempers but I've never seen a temper like that before.'

'What are you on about, Prongs?' Sirius gave him a strange look. 'Evans yells at you like that all the time!'

'I know but ... that time was different,' reasoned James. In the distance they heard the bell ring to indicate they had ten minutes to get to class. The boys came out from their covered and headed up the hill towards the castle. 'I don't know, maybe it was because she chose to pelt us with snowballs instead of yelling at us, it just seemed so different. Almost as if she had a sense of humour.'

Sirius, Remus and Peter looked at each other then looked at James. He noticed their gazes, coming to an abrupt halt in the middle of the Covered Bridge.

'What?

'Prongsie, me old mate,' said Sirius. He put his arm around James's shoulders. 'You have a crush on our dear little Lily Flower.'

'Oh, don't start that again,' groaned James. He turned away and continued along the bridge.

'No, hear me out,' said Sirius, chasing after him. 'You just complimented her, commenting for once it seemed that she had a sense of humour when we'd managed to annoy the spell out of her as usual, something you've accused her of having a lack of since we were ickle little first years.'

'So?' shrugged James. 'What's your point?'

'So, I think there's a little bit of subtle attraction going on between you two,' said Sirius. 'Aren't I right, Moony?'

'I must admit, Sirius does have a point,' said Remus. James sent him a look; it was never good to admit Sirius was right about anything. 'You did just compliment Lily, as backhanded as it was, it was a compliment.'

'And there was the time when we were heading to dinner and Evans was coming down from her Ancient Runes class with Frank and you put your foot straight through the trick stair because you were looking at her.'

'And when you walked into that suit of armour on the fourth floor when Lily walked past on her way to the library,' added Remus.

'And the time you fell out the tree when Evans was with Frank, Alice and Tala,' inputted Sirius.

'So I get a little clumsy when I'm around her,' shrugged James. 'That doesn't mean I have a crush on her.'

'No, not at all,' reasoned Sirius. 'Your _only_ clumsy when you're around her now that you're purposely trying to impress her to get her to go out with you despite the thirty-seven rejections you've had.'

'Thirty-six,' James corrected him. 'That last one didn't count as I didn't get the question out due to …' James trailed off.

'Due to …?' Sirius gave him a pointed look.

'Due to my robes getting caught on the bench and tripping me up,' muttered James.

'I think that's spell, round, duel to Sirius,' said Remus.

'Right, let me just make one thing clear to you three,' said James firmly. They turned into the corridor where the History of Magic classroom was. Half of the class was already there including Evans. 'I _do not_ have a crush on Evans,' he said in a lowered voice. 'I _am not_ the slightest bit attracted to her past her looks because she's got "high maintenance" stamped all over her. Yes, I'm going to continue asking her out but as soon as she says "yes", that's it and it won't go further than one date so will you please all drop it!'

None of the other three said anything as they went into the classroom when Professor Binns called them in and the subject of James's attraction to Evans was dropped. James took a seat at the back of the class making sure to position himself as far away from Evans as he could. He sulked throughout the lesson as he listened to Professor Binns droned on about the Goblin Wars, irritated by the fact his friends thought he had a crush on the person who went out of her way to ruin his fun. So what if he was clumsy when she was around? And that he apparently complimented her on her temper? James's hazel eyes darted to the front of the class on the opposite side to him where Evans was sitting; her hair was pulled over one of her shoulders and there was a look of deep focus on her work as she made notes on the lecture, her green eyes scanning the parchment, her lips mouthing what she wrote.

'Damn it!' hissed James under her breath.

While James was reluctant to admit that he was developing a minor crush on Lily, Sirius meanwhile was happily ignorant about his own developing attractions to another certain Gryffindor girl. He carried on exactly as he was, prating about, making a fool of himself, playing practical jokes on people and getting in detention so frequently McGonagall was sick of seeing him in her office. Of course, even Sirius could not remain ignorant for long. Up till now Sirius and Tala's relationship had remained pretty much the same as it had been for the last few years. They had fun together, they teased each other, they enjoyed each other's company. There was nothing complex about it. But now they were older and, as James was finding out for himself, things don't get easier the older you get.

The penultimate Saturday of November brought a second Hogsmeade trip. The students filled down to the village wrapped tightly in their coats and scarves as they battled the slippery snow-covered footpath down the hill leaving the school void of people apart from the first and second years. Filch was as usual standing guard at the doors to the courtyard as the students filed out. His eyes narrowed when the Marauders walked past. All apart from Sirius, that is.

Sirius had landed himself in detention after Professor Flitwick caught him jinxing the suits of armour on the second floor to make farting noises any time a Slytherin student walked by. Despite being amused himself, Flitwick had given him detention for Saturday morning to help him decorate the Christmas trees Hagrid had brought in from the grounds, not that Sirius thought that much of a punishment.

'Well, it fits the crime,' squeaked Professor Flitwick cheerfully. 'Might as well put your sense of humour to use rather than let it charm any more of the suits of armour to make those … bodily noises.'

By lunchtime Sirius was free to go having helped Flitwick Levitate the hundreds of various decorations he used every year to decorate the twelve Christmas trees the Great Hall held. Not many of the students appeared in the Hall meaning they were probably taking advantage of having Christmas lunch at The Three Broomsticks. It simply meant more food for Sirius as he dined alone. Once he'd finished Sirius left the Great Hall to return to the Gryffindor Tower, not particularly bothered to spend what was left of the day in Hogsmeade. It was only when he reached the third floor that Sirius had a better idea. He looked around the changing staircase. No one was about; the teachers were probably down in Hogsmeade too enjoying a Christmas drink; Filch was probably still guarding the doors to the Clock Tower ready to pounce on anyone who dripped water into the castle. Who was there to stop him?

Instantly answering all these questions himself, Sirius sat on the banister and proceeded to slide down it. When he came to the corners Sirius merely leapt off one banister and on to the next. The thrill of the ride was only increased when the staircase would begin to move when he was halfway down.

'_Woooo!_' Sirius shouted at the top of his lungs as he slid down the second floor banister. 'Uh oh.'

The barrier that slid across the floor platforms to indicate the staircase was about to change appeared just as Sirius reached the end of the banister. His legs hit the barrier and he somersaulted over it, landing smack on to the platform.

'I think that's the second time now you've fallen at my feet,' said a voice somewhere above him. Sirius opened his eyes. Tala looked back, her head tilted to one side. She raised an eyebrow at him. 'Up to mischief again, are we, Padfoot?'

'No, not exactly,' said Sirius. He got up, rubbing his leg where it had hit against the barrier. 'Call it seizing an opportunity while the school is void of teachers. So how come you're not in Hogsmeade?'

'Call it being forced to have to do an essay which is due in on Monday,' replied Tala, mimicking Sirius's previous response.

'Are you mocking me?'

'Well I do believe I am.'

Tala shrugged, turned on her heel and walked back up the stairs to the third floor. Sirius watched her for a moment before chasing after her.

'So let me get this straight,' he said. He walked beside her matching her pace. They stopped briefly to use Damara Dodderidge's passage to the Clock Tower to go out into the grounds. 'You think you can just get away with mocking me?'

'I wouldn't do it if I didn't think I could,' said Tala casually. They walked down the passage, Tala pushing open Damara's other portrait to let them into the Clock Tower. 'Besides, what are you going to do about it?'

'I could prank you,' said Sirius. 'I'm not above doing that.'

'And do what? Charm my hair so it was bright turquoise or something?' Tala snickered, pulling on her scarf. 'It takes you days to think of a good prank. I'll be old by the time you get round to doing it.'

Sirius let out a huff. He strode ahead of Tala across the courtyard, Tala following behind, and across the Covered Bridge.

'I'm waiting,' Tala said behind him.

'I'm thinking,' replied Sirius. He racked his brains for an idea. 'I could … bewitch your wand to constantly conjure flowers whenever you tried to use it.'

'Wands can't get bewitched,' answered Tala. 'Try again.'

'I could take your copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ and remove all the vital bits about dangerous creatures.'

'Professor Kettleburn doesn't give us dangerous creatures to look at. You know that.'

'I could go into your dormitory and hide all your clothes!' Sirius was really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

'You can't get into the girls' dormitories because of an old charm on the staircase which stops boys getting into them.'

'Damn it!' hissed Sirius. There must be something he could think of which Tala wouldn't be able to back down or give an excuse for. Suddenly it hit him. He faced the younger student, grinning broadly. 'I've got it,' he said happily. 'I can out transform you and be a better dog than you can.'

Tala raised her eyebrow.

'You've been an Animagus for a few months and you think you can make a better animal than me?' she said slowly. Sirius nodded. 'Wow, you're even cockier than I thought.'

'Not cocky, merely truthful,' said Sirius, turning away.

'We'll see about that.'

'Huh?'

Sirius looked round. Next moment he was lying on his back in the snow. A wolf stood over him with its paws on his chest. Without him noticing Tala had transformed and leapt up at Sirius, knocking him to the ground. Sirius instantly transformed into Padfoot. He pushed Tala off him then leapt at her. The two dogs rolled slightly down the hill together. With an extra push, Tala flipped Sirius on to his back and they came to a stop. They transformed back, Tala on top and Sirius lying in the snow. Her hair had been messed from the play-fight, and her hands were on his chest holding herself up and Sirius to the ground.

'You were saying?' Tala asked innocently, grinning. Sirius, panting slightly, gave Tala a devilish look. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

'You cheated,' he said. 'I wasn't prepared.'

'Oh excuses, excuses,' said Tala airily. She got up off Sirius's chest and pulled her hair over her shoulder. Tala glanced back at Sirius over the opposite one. Sirius started slightly. Had Tala always had that glint in her eyes? They were unnaturally bright. 'You're pride just took a fall and you're going down with it.'

'Is that a challenge?' asked Sirius. He cocked his eyebrow upwards, everything he just felt forgotten.

'Well, Mr Black, I believe it is.'

'Best two out of three.'

Sirius transformed again. Tala saw this. She moved back and transformed as Sirius pounced on top of her. The two dogs began to roll down the hill again. They playfully yelped and pushed each other in an effort to get on top, neither taking any notice of how wet they were getting from playing in the snow. It looked like Tala was going to win a second time. She pushed him over on to his back and made a move to pin him down. However, Sirius put his back paw against her body and flipped her over him. She landed gently on the ground, Sirius quickly rolling over and putting his front paws either side of Tala's head. He sat over her, making sure she couldn't get up. They transformed back.

'One all,' smirked Sirius. 'Not as tough as you make out, are you?'

Tala gave Sirius a sly look but did not respond. She just laid there, her chest slowly rising and falling. Her blue eyes glinted again. Sirius's smirk slowly vanished. He couldn't help but stare. They way Tala's hair fell elegantly over her half her face; they way her pale lips went up at the corners in a small smile, only just parted enough to see her white teeth; the playfulness lighting up her face.

'I'm not out yet.'

Tala transformed catching Sirius unawares. He was pushed on to his back and they began to roll down the hill a third time. He managed to transform into Padfoot in time and his competitiveness started again. The two dogs rolled all the way to the foot of the hill, going over each other, falling apart, then going at it again. Placing her paws on his chest, Tala gave a final push. Sirius was flipped on to his back bringing Tala with him so her paws were once again holding him to the ground, and he was defeated.

They lay panting in the grass, both laughing though you could not tell because they were not in their human forms. Sirius felt like his lungs were going to burst, he was so out of breath. He stared at the sky as he tried to regain it. But once again he fell into a trance. His grey eyes fell on to Tala lying on top of him. She raised her head, one ear floppy like her fringe in her human form, and looked down on him. Their eyes connected, neither able to look away.

It all happened in one smooth movement. Sirius and Tala sat up at the same time both transforming back into their human forms. Neither said anything as they stared at each other as they sat in the snow. Sirius blinked. It was like he was seeing Tala in a completely different light; he'd already noticed she'd changed over the summer before fifth year but he hadn't realised how pretty she actually was. She had this playfulness and daring he hadn't seen in any of the other girls he'd dated. How was he only just realising what Tala was really like?

Tala swallowed as she and Sirius sat there. He was staring at her with such an intensity it was making her heart race. She didn't know what to do. She had always been aware of Sirius's boyish charm and natural good looks since her third year but she never thought she'd be on the receiving end of them. Well, she had got embarrassed when he had his shirt off the first time he and the others showed her and Remus they'd managed the Animagus transformation. But this was Sirius! He was her brother's best friend. She couldn't, especially after what she'd said about him a few months ago and his dating history.

'Um …' Tala moved back and got off Sirius. Their gaze broke and they finally realised how cold and wet they were from the snow. 'I, er …'

'Yeah, I have –' Sirius got up. He ran his hand through his hair. 'I've got to – um –'

Tala got up as well. She watched as Sirius looked around. She could feel the flush in her cheeks.

'Sirius –?'

'I – er – I've got to go.'

* * *

**AN: took long enough but here's the enxt chapter of this story. look forward to any reviews. BlAcKdAuGhTeR**


	16. AUTHOR

**So since JK Rowling updated Pottermore with information about Remus, I am updating this story to include that information. That IS NOT an indication I am back to full time writing but who knows, this might help me get back in touch with my younger self who wrote this and the sequel to Diary of an Orphan.**


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